Dad asks for opinions after nickname for daughters gets strange reactions

A father’s affectionate nickname for his daughters has led to an unexpected online discussion after he questioned whether calling them “gorgeous” was acceptable.

The 50-year-old father, posting concisely under the username Brilliant_Yak9792 on Reddit, shared that he often greets his two daughters, aged 16 and 8, with the nickname “gorgeous.”

‘Inappropriate’

Whether it’s a cheerful, “Hi gorgeous!”, or a warm, “Goodnight gorgeous,” he said both girls enjoy the affectionate term.

His wife has never expressed concern, but he mentioned that some women who overheard him using the nickname said it was “inappropriate.”

The father turned to Reddit for advice, asking if he was wrong for calling his daughters “gorgeous.” The responses were overwhelmingly in his favor, with many users praising the father for boosting his daughters’ self-esteem.

One Reddit user responded, “Dad’s please praise your daughters. Tell them they are beautiful, smart, funny, creative, dazzling, gorgeous, etc. So that when someone’s dusty a** son tries to tell them these things, they are not impressed.”

Another user wrote, “People need to get over themselves. I (female) call my daughter beautiful/gorgeous/etc. as nicknames also. I think it is encouraging, and if your daughters like it, it shouldn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”

Another person wrote in disbelief: “My grandpa always addressed me as ‘pretty girl’ and ‘pretty’ and he is not weird at all about it.

“It actually made me feel special and so I adopted it for my daughter many years later and she not only likes it, but she feels confident in her appearance too.”

While the majority of users supported the father, the post opened up a broader conversation about how parents compliment their children and whether focusing on appearance could have unintended effects.

Some critics argued that praising looks too often might send the wrong message, while others insisted that affection from parents is key to a child‘s confidence.

According to the Child Mind Institute, boosting a child’s self-esteem goes beyond appearance-focused compliments. Encouraging independence, recognizing achievements and praising effort are also vital.

The institute suggests that while compliments on appearance can make children feel loved, they should be balanced with affirmations of their abilities and character.

At the same time, the role of fathers in their daughters’ self-image is well recognized.

WeHaveKids notes that dads who express love and respect set a standard for how their daughters expect to be treated by others. Positive affirmations like “gorgeous” can contribute to a strong, confident self-image when combined with other forms of praise.

For many Reddit users, the key issue was whether the daughters felt happy and comfortable with the nickname.

Since the father noted that both girls enjoyed being called “gorgeous,” commentators agreed that the opinions of outsiders should not outweigh the daughters’ own feelings.

‘It goes a long way’

An individual urged the OP to continue with his encouragement of his children and lamented the absence of such support from their own parent.

“Awww, I would have loved growing up with a dad who said nice positive things,” the individual said in the thread.

“I don’t know that my dad ever complimented mine and my two sisters’ appearance. He was more like, ‘What did you do to your hair?. It’s frowzy looking.’

“Keep telling them they are gorgeous and beautiful and so smart, clever, kind hearted. It goes a long way for girls, especially when they aren’t feeling so good about themselves.”

Newsweek has contacted Brilliant_Yak9792 for comment via Reddit.

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