Hi Dr. Laura,

I wrote a story about taking my daughter to college which was published in the regional newspaper here in southern California. This really explains why I spent so much time with my daughter as the day eventually comes where you have to make sure she can live in the world on her own.

Probably like other college-bound teenagers, our daughter, in her short summer from high school graduation to the move-in date, managed to find many ways to make us want her to leave.

Suggestions to find a job were met with, "Daaaaad, Costa got out the end of June and ASU starts in mid-August. It wouldn't be fair to an employer to work for so short a time."

How about cleaning out your room and packing? "Daaaaad, that will only take a couple of hours. It's Arizona. I'll only need some shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops." 

Read the entire article:  My Turn: Holding on tight for one last minute before saying goodbye to childhood

Dads have to realize how important they are to their daughters.

All the best,

Joe