You wake up one day as a child with a seemingly happy home withboth parents in your everyday life. The next day, you find yourselfleaving those comfortable surroundings to start a new life withmany uncertainties and one parent.
For 13 year old Stacy Barber, this scenario became reality a fewmonths ago when she and her 15 year old sister moved into a housewith just their mother.
Barber said she still sees and talks to her fatherregularly.
It is important for Barber's dad to stay involved in her lifebecause statistics show a child growing up in a single parent homeis more likely to suffer mental problems, have run ins with the lawand live in poverty.
In some cases, it is necessary for a couple to split up. Butthat is no reason why the other parent not living in the homeshouldn't be there for their child.
In most cases, it is the father not living with his child.According to the Census 2000, the percentage of households headedby a single parent increased from 21.7 in 1990 to 28.9.
Mothers head over 77 percent of those single parenthouseholds.
Experts say that a young boy needs his father to teach him howto be a man. Little girls need their daddy just as much.
If a girl grows up without the love of her father, she won'tknow how to be a real woman.
The lack of affection from a dad can cause a young girl to lookin the wrong places for love. Not having the father in the home maymake a girl promiscuous.
Barber said she has more liberty since her dad is not around tokeep continuous eye on her.
"I've always had freedom to go where I wanted to go," Barbersaid. "Now I can go to more places and have a boyfriend."
Barber's mother has two fulltime jobs now -- the one shereceives a paycheck for and the task of keeping her daughters onthe right path.
It is not fair to a woman to make her both the mother and fatherof a household. It is not fair to add on to the stress that shewill already have to endure as a parent.
Of course that mother can teach her daughter women things. Butlittle girls need the comfort and understanding only a father canprovide. If a father supports his daughter, she is less likely toget pregnant as a teen or be involved in abusive relationship. Thatgirl will grow up with some emotional stability.
"To me it does matter (if a father is involved) because everyyoung girl needs their father," Barber said. "Girls need somebodyto be hard on them because most girls will do anything."
Barber said she feels good because her dad still plans to bethere for her in the future.
"He gives us what we want -- he is a good dad," Barber said. "Heplans to teach me how to drive soon. He also teaches me about theBible."
Spiritual understanding, driving lessons and the latest designerfashions are great gifts for a father to give his daughter. But thegreatest gift he can give her is making her 'Daddy's LittleGirl'.
