I have a lot to say about this issue. I have an 11 year old and divorced her mother when my daughter was 7. I waited until the age of reason (7).

Teach her about hard work. Earning things, not taking hand outs. You can do this by challenging her to accomplish physical things like sports.. both individual and team sports. Earning things for yourself is important.

Second, teach her about money. Allowance only gets paid when she accomplishes things you tell her to... taking taxes out, showing the bills you pay.

I used to give my daughter the child support money orders to give to her mom, to make sure she understands where the money comes from.

I make sure my daughter understands that she is living in a nice condo in Chicago because of me and if I stopped paying, she would have to move. So she understands that Daddy is paying for her to go on her friendly trips scuba diving, etc.

Teaching her about honor, integrity, hard work.

I teach her how to act toward boys. never to talk down to them... I teach her how to talk to men respectfully, but to never take shit from them. I teach her why her friends that are boys act the way they do....I teach her the differences between boys and girls and their behavior.

Some boy accidentally walked into a door at school and people were laughing at him. She claims to be laughing at her friends laugh and not that he walked into a door - but I explained that he likely didn't know that and she should apologize to him just in case he thought she was laughing at him..

I basically try to impede the teachings and nature of girls. so that she at leasts thinks about her behavior as she is growing up.

It's tough. We just had a 90 minute conversation about her friends, me and her mom, and a bunch of other things related to her growing up.

I try to admonish her when she is acting helpless. That is the toughest part because she is at that age now where she is capable but a little lazy with some things. So I double down on things. She can't get a plate washed or something silly - I make her do the dishes (all of them).

i'm also teaching her how to iron. I'm teaching her how to shoot a gun. I'm teaching her how to cook, do laundry and the like.

It is a lot but I think it is pitiful to be a woman and not know how to iron a shirt, cook a meal or do laundry properly.

At the same time, I make sure she is taken care of, warm in the winter, car warmed up, pick her up and be a gentleman by opening the car door for her.... then sometimes making her go inside, get her stuff, bring them out, load the car...

I mix it up, to make sure she doesn't get spoiled. I taught her how to test if a battery is dead, alternator or jump start a car. ETC..

All of this during the weekend, actually.

I'm teaching her how to stand up for herself, but still be respectful. All of this.... all of this in one weekend and will continue through the end of 2017. When she is 13/14 years old, I would like to see her be able to take care of herself if needed, but also let her know that her job is to help make her husband successful and to trust him and to support him no matter what.

I might be doing too much, but I have pity for people in college that can't do their own laundry. It's pitiful.