Being a woman is a complex identity these days.

Many parents feel overprotective over their daughters as opposed to their sons, a problem that's starting to shift. Parents are getting more comfortable now, though, letting their sons express emotions and their daughters express more traditionally masculine behaviors as we edge toward a more gender fluid society.

How do you let your daughter be free and independent while also making sure she knows how to keep herself safe?

How can you tell her she can do anything she wants to do, but also recognize the reality that there are some things in life that are still more difficult for women?

Earlier, a reddit user asked "Men of Reddit, what are some things a mom should know while raising a boy?" and the answers were incredibly helpful. Make sure to always knock on the door, let them do their own laundry, teach them to cook, and don't tease them about their crushes on girls. Following that train of thought, another Reddit user asked, "women of Reddit, what are some things a dad should know about raising a girl?" and the answers were equally interesting. It's rough out there to be a parent, but the internet is here to help!

1. Spot on, "pickmeacoolname."

How you treat her and her mom is how she will expect to be treated by her partner when she’s older.

2. Yes, "ratchmond."

Make sure to teach us “boy” stuff, too! I was an only child, and my dad still taught me to drive a tractor, change a tire, hang drywall, and fix things around the house. These skills have come in handy many times in the years since and especially when I was living alone. Plus, it was great bonding time for me and dad :)

3. 100%, "MusingLife."

Don't be too overprotective. How long can you protect her? One day she'll be on her own and she'll not know how to. Teach her how to be independent instead. To do things on her own. Teach her self-defense. Teach her to be safe.

4. Yes, please! "Bossypants92."

Just buy her the tampons and don't be embarrassed about it. My dad raised my sister and I alone after my mom passed away when I was 11 and he was always so weird about this - MEN, it's not a big deal!!! The cashier knows it's not for you LOL

5. This is so real, "uglygirlohio."

Your words stay with her for life.

6. Yup, "itsacalamity."

She is going to get hit on so much earlier than you think. I started getting whistled at walking past construction sites when I was 11. Teach her the skills to deal with rejecting someone politely but firmly and sticking to her guns (metaphorically)

7. Respect her space! "bebelabeaux."

When they are teenagers, respect their space as it’s a tough time for them and honestly it’s really difficult to talk to your dad about. We have mood swings and you might think we hate you but we love you dearly! Be there for her when she needs it too!

8. This is so solid, "Unsolicited_Spiders."

Do. NOT. Focus. On. Her physical looks.

Teach her good hygiene. Encourage her to eat healthy and to exercise. Teach her context for why certain clothes are more appropriate than others ("It's disrespectful to wear short shorts at church. Wear them to the beach if you want, but church is for formal clothes/business casual/etc"). But for the love of god never tell her she's too fat or too skinny. Never tell her she's "lucky she's pretty". Never prioritize her beauty over her personality. Never tell her she should wear different clothes for her body type (e.g. "Your legs look better in long pants than in shorts"). If she makes an effort to look nice, comment on specifics, like, "You did a good job on your makeup," or, "That dress is a nice color on you," or "I like what you did with your hair." That takes the focus off her inherent looks ("You look gorgeous") and puts it on her effort and attention to detail.

She will get enough self-esteem blows and unrealistic expectations from society at large. She deserves better from you.

9. Listen to her, "misslulah."

I know you probably don't want to hear about what happened with Sarah and Kyle today in prealgebra or the character break down of her latest teen novel but just listen to her. The moment you dismiss her thoughts and interests is the moment that wall starts going up between. Make an effort to remember some names and details and it'll mean everything to her. Don't laugh at her or get mad when she bursts into tears over something that you perceive as insignificant. Not only is she young and her world is smaller but if she's above the age of ten her emotions are running wild.

Basically just treat her like her thoughts and feelings are valid. It's so easy to forget about how big your emotions feel when you're young. And the reason that I, as a 26 year old woman, still talk to my father weekly and greet him with a big hug is that he listened with empathy.

10. ACCEPT THIS, "bigweight93."

She's gonna have sex eventually

11. Let her cry! "YorkshireLavender."

Don’t tell her off for crying. My dad would always shout at me for crying and it always felt (still does) like a terrible thing to do. I find it hard now to process my emotions and feel 100x worse whenever I do cry as it’s something I shouldn’t do

12. A+, "italia_inxxie."

If they say they don't want to be touched they don't want to be touched. This should be done with both genders but for girls saying they don't want to be touched and then their dad does it anyway really sucks and leads to mixed messages about what your personal boundaries are allowed to be.

13. Absolutely, "CautiousShower."

Don't excuse the behavior of men "because they're men." Girls are victimized EARLY. I was groped for the first time at nine years old. My father not excusing that as "boys being boys" is why I have always been able to recognize that behavior as unacceptable. But I know so many women whose dads didn't teach them this way, who just expect that this is how all men will act BECAUSE they are men. Some have even been raped, but won't report it because "maybe they did something to cause it."

Teach your girls to demand better.

13 tips from women to dads raising daughters. Don't be embarrassed to buy her tampons.