Here is the way I feel about my cat. (Hear me out. I know it's ridiculous, but just go with it.) Lots of parents really really love their children and they can listen to them all day and they like doing things for them and snuggling with them and giving them (chaste) kisses and that wonderful stuff.
But you also like to do some of those things with people you love romantically. The difference is that you don't want to passionately kiss your daughter full on the lips like if you were in romantic love with her. You don't want anything to do with your daughter sexually because you aren't really sexually attracted to her. You want to give her a little peck on the cheek to make her smile because you like seeing her happy.
It's a bond that can't really be replicated. Some parents love their kids more than their partners, and it is totally natural. Your bond with your partner has conditions and stresses like money, fidelity, etc., but your bond with your daughter doesn't. You are experiencing unconditional love which is totally different than probably anything else you have experienced, so you try to align it with romantic type love since they do have a few similarities. Don't worry. It's normal.
I know you want to be her friend, but when things get rough you have to be able to step up to the plate and do what is best for her in the long run. Sometimes that means teaching her responsibility for her actions or commitment or any number of valuable life lessons. Sometimes it means taking away a privilege when she misbehaves. It can also mean celebrating her triumphs like getting straight A's with an ice cream treat.
Overall, you're right. You're in love. Pure, unconditional love. Just make sure to still be a parent when you have to be.
Is it normal that I'm in love with my daughter?
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Here is the way I feel about my cat. (Hear me out. I know it's ridiculous, but just go with it.) Lots of parents really really love their children and they can listen to them all day and they like doing things for them and snuggling with them and giving them (chaste) kisses and that wonderful stuff.
But you also like to do some of those things with people you love romantically. The difference is that you don't want to passionately kiss your daughter full on the lips like if you were in romantic love with her. You don't want anything to do with your daughter sexually because you aren't really sexually attracted to her. You want to give her a little peck on the cheek to make her smile because you like seeing her happy.
It's a bond that can't really be replicated. Some parents love their kids more than their partners, and it is totally natural. Your bond with your partner has conditions and stresses like money, fidelity, etc., but your bond with your daughter doesn't. You are experiencing unconditional love which is totally different than probably anything else you have experienced, so you try to align it with romantic type love since they do have a few similarities. Don't worry. It's normal.
I know you want to be her friend, but when things get rough you have to be able to step up to the plate and do what is best for her in the long run. Sometimes that means teaching her responsibility for her actions or commitment or any number of valuable life lessons. Sometimes it means taking away a privilege when she misbehaves. It can also mean celebrating her triumphs like getting straight A's with an ice cream treat.
Overall, you're right. You're in love. Pure, unconditional love. Just make sure to still be a parent when you have to be.