The number one man in a little girl's life is her father. But he's not her primary love. It's her mother who's the object of her unbounded affections, forming a union that generally lasts around three years. After this time, she realises that her mother will never be her husband and so she transfers this disappointment into love towards her father.
Later on, she learns that he cannot respond to her desires either, and so she learns to detach herself and look for other men. But until that moment, she enjoys her father's companionship. He has a never-ending supply of love for the little princess who is his own flesh and blood.
This pleasant period lasts until adolescence when she may enter into an attention-grabbing phase and try to come between her father and mother. It's up to him to put an end to this by showing her that he is mum's partner, teaching her that there is no need for jealousy and helping her to understand love.