SWF seeks an out-of-shape, weekend-binge-drinking man-child who still goes to KISS concerts and cannot kick his comic book habit even though he’s well into his 40s. Must be choked by the umbilical cord of a domineering mother and live in a state of perpetual Catholic guilt that flares up when he misses Mass on Sunday or lingers too long on at a nasty corner of the World Wide Web. Lasting three minutes in the sack mandatory; five minutes a plus.

Good God.

Girls are sugar and spice and everything nice, and they may make you … liberal? A new study shows that those who have daughters are more likely to be Democrats than those who have sons. Why? Because parents with daughters, particularly fathers, feel strongly about gender equality and reproductive rights, making them sympathetic to left-wing parties. Or, in the words of one commenter, “Maybe this explains why my dad has become so much more liberal as he’s gotten older. (I’m the third of his three daughters. No sons.) Or maybe it’s because his Republican party went all bat-s**t insane.”

Denise Richards picks her daughter up from dance class. [Los Angeles, 5/14/09]

Usually, a daughter’s interaction with her father is her first male/female relationship. It’s how she learns to see herself as a young woman; it’s how she determines if she’s accepted, valued, and respected. Whether you have a positive relationship with your father or the two of you are barely on speaking terms, he has the power to ruin your relationships with men. If a woman had an emotionally and physically absent father when she was growing up, she may be more likely to have difficulty making productive and lasting relationships with men as an adult. But even if your father was your biggest champion and showed you his love and nurtured you, he can still ruin your future with men—if you let him.

“I am an 18-year old college student. I have been dating an amazing guy who is nine months older than me for over two years. He is also in college, but we go to different universities. We have been having sex since I was 17 and the only problem has been my mother, who has disapproved. I thought that when I was in college she would leave me alone. realize that I am an adult, and give me some freedom. But no. When I recently told her that I had spent the night with my boyfriend, she got mad and said that I should have asked her. She doesn’t know that we have sex (after two years, she could hardly assume two hormonal teenagers would behave like saints), but how can I tell her to back off and that I am not her little innocent girl anymore?”—Bird Who’s Left The Nest, via email

Last night Michelle Obama spoke at the Democratic National Convention and gave what I found to be an extremely inspiring speech—I especially appreciated that she didn’t seem to be overly rehearsed and even occasionally stumbled over her words. I’m not down with my politicians or my politicians spouses seeming like robotic newscasters. Anyway, the bulk of Michelle’s speech was about being a wife and mother and her hopes for the country—at the end she brought out daughters Malia and Sascha, who behaved as adorably as you would expect. Politics aside, Michelle’s speech got me thinking about what it means to be a successful professional, partner, and parent, especially when she referenced “Hillary Clinton’s 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling.” it was clear she did appreciate what her husband’s rival did for women, especially given what her hopes must be for her own daughters. With that in mind—and that today marks the 88th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote—what are your hopes for your children, specifically your daughters? A few of mine after the jump and I really hope you’ll chime in with your own in the comments.

Joyce McFadden, a New York City psychoanalyst, who runs a site called Women’s Realities, actively conducts studies where she asks women questions and then let’s them answer in their own words. As you’d expect, we ladies have sex on our minds. So, when prompted with, What do you want to know about your mother but would never ask?, the responses were overwhelmingly about their mother’s sexual history—from how she lost her virginity, to possible abortions, to if she had even ever questioned her sexuality. While the answers to this query may not be child-proof, as a teenager or adult struggling with our own sexuality and love life, this info could be a bit uncomfortable, but useful and potentially validating. Although, just a few days after buttering our moms up with Mother’s Day presents, we still can’t seem to ask.  [Huffington Post]

Speaking of plastic surgery and kids, a new picture book is coming out this Mother’s Day called “My Beautiful Mommy” which attempts to explain to kids why their mother is getting cosmetic surgery. Strangely, the book wasn’t written by a mom who has had plastic surgery, but by a a plastic surgeon named Dr. Michael Salzhauer. While you might assume that Dr. Salzhauer wrote the book out of genuine concern for the family dynamics of his patients, he actually uses it as a tool to convince mothers to get plastic surgery. The book’s message is that mommy is so much more beautiful after her tummy tuck and nose job —and that your little girl or boy will be totally thrilled with your results too! [Newsweek]