Some Rules for “Daddy Dates”

Last year, Mary Carol bought me the book Daddy Dates, because I had started trying to take her on some dates from time-to-time. If you are a dad to a daughter who is still at home, you need to buy and read this book! Here is the link to Amazon. It is a quick read, but is filled with helpful tips and encouragement.

Mary Carol and I have gone on a few dates, and I am still trying to make these more regular. However, here are some things I got from both the book and from experience that I try to do on these evenings.

1. Call ahead. No, our six-year-old does not have her own phone (and she won’t any time soon). So, I call Leah’s phone and ask for Mary Carol. I ask  her out, just as I would expect a young man to do one day. No…I will not ask her out via text messages, but that’s another post for another day.

2. Dress for the evening. We dress appropriately. While we might not dress up every time, I do try to show her that these are special evenings. Again, I expect a young man to do this one day, so I am training her to notice that now.

3. Think of what brings her happiness. Mary Carol loves doughnuts, which is nice for two reasons. First, it’s nice because I like them for an evening snack, too. It’s also nice because they are cheap! In all seriousness, I try to think of things she enjoys doing, from shopping to Chick-fil-A, and we do those things.

4. Disconnect and connect. By this I mean that I try to only answer the cell phone if it is an absolute necessity, and I try to truly listen to what my precious daughter is saying. We talk a lot on our dates. Of course, at this age, the conversations are simple, but I am trying to build into her that dates are a time for connection.

5. Manners, manners, manners. One of these days, a young man is going to take Mary Carol out on a date. If he doesn’t open the front door and car door for her on the way out, they are going no further on that date!!! I do my best to put on my best manners for her now, so that she knows that’s what a date is supposed to do for her.

These evenings are very special, and I need to do better about making them more regular. I hope that, by having “daddy dates,” Mary Carol will grow up to know that she can always trust me and can talk to me about anything. I also hope she knows that I will always have time for her.

—————————

What tips would you add?