Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have always struck me as pretty devoted parents as well as partners. While it seems like there’s a lot of famous moms writing books and chatting up magazines about their kids, McGraw has written a touching book about dads and daughters called My Little Girl. He and Hill have three daughters together, so he certainly knows about the relationship between fathers and daughters.

As the father of three girls, Tim McGraw understands the challenges that face dads who want to please their daughters. So the children’s book he’s co-written with Tom Douglas has some simple advice: As long as you’re spending time with them, it doesn’t really matter what you do.

“My Little Girl,” to be published Tuesday by Thomas Nelson, tells the story of a father — in a dark cowboy hat, of course — who spends a fun day with his little girl Katie doing … nothing in particular. They stop by the farm co-op, gaze up at the clouds and play on a tire swing. The 41-year-old country singer said he enjoys spending time with his daughters — ages 11, 10 and 6 — but if he did what they liked doing, he’d be spending a lot of time shopping at the mall or getting pedicures.

“It’s something that as a father you kind of have to sacrifice what you want to do, because boys do what you want to do. If I want to go to the farm and shoot guns or ride four-wheelers in the mud when it’s 40 degrees … the girls aren’t really interested in doing that,” he said. But McGraw said he’s found that his daughters like coming along while he does simple, everyday stuff, like running to the grocery store or stopping by the office.

“Do what you have to do in your regular routine and take them with you. It makes all the difference in the world,” he said. McGraw’s wife, Faith Hill, wrote in the forward: “I hope this story provides quality time for fathers and daughters to enjoy each other’s company and make memories reading together.”

[From Yahoo News]

I think that’s a really sweet message. A lot of fathers don’t seem to realize the role they play in their daughter’s lives. Not just in the present, but that they teach their daughters how they should be treated. Showing them that they’re worth your time and effort, whether it’s doing ordinary things together like the characters in the book, or reading the book together, shows kids that they matter and they’re worth making time for.

Being a celebrity mom is so trendy these days. People keep tabs on women’s pregnancies and report on every little detail of diaper duty. Hopefully books like McGraw’s will show how important it is to be a good dad too, and give it its proper importance.

Here’s Tim and Faith leaving Cafe Med in West Hollywood with their children in June. Images thanks to Fame and WENN.