Fox News Anchor Shares Dad's 5 Lessons for Girl Dads

Dana Perino's father Leo died in his sleep at 79, just 29 days after retiring from a career he loved. But the lessons he taught his two daughters continue to inspire how fathers raise confident young women today.

Leo Perino didn't preach about equality in the 1970s. He simply lived it, telling Dana and her younger sister Angie they could achieve anything without setting their goals lower because they were girls.

The tradition started in third grade changed everything. Leo required Dana to read two newspapers before he got home from work, pick two articles, and discuss them with him over dinner.

"He wasn't just teaching me to read the news," Dana recalls. "He was teaching me to think."

Those dinner table conversations gave Dana something precious: the ability to articulate her thoughts confidently. Years of listening, challenging, and affirming prepared her to speak confidently to future bosses, including a U.S. president, and eventually millions of Fox News viewers.

Leo also understood something many parents miss. Getting daughters talking early, practicing clear communication, and building their confident voice takes deliberate instruction.

Faith played a central role too. Dana and her sister even argued about which Sunday service to attend, with Dana wanting the early slot so she could still catch the political shows afterward.

But perhaps Leo's greatest gift was creating a judgment-free zone. After graduate school, Dana realized she'd earned a degree in something she didn't want to pursue and feared calling home.

His response? "That's great. We'll just drive you back here after graduation and you'll figure it out."

Dana's sister had a similar experience in her mid-twenties. When she faced a major life decision, Leo simply asked, "How can I help?"

Why This Inspires

Leo Perino showed that being a great father means more than protection. It means becoming the safe place your daughters can run to when the world feels overwhelming, at any age, without fear of judgment.

When Leo died, his copy of Dana's book sat at his bedside, bookmarked 40 pages from the end. Though heartbreaking at first, Dana found comfort knowing he'd read his favorite scene about the Green Bay Packers.

He didn't get to read the ending of her book, but his daughters got to experience his. And it was a happy one.