Training to date

My oldest is a sweet little girl who turns 7 this summer. She is pretty certain that 7=teenager. I feel this is a safe assertion based on a few unavoidable facts.

1. She wants to hang out with the teens
2. She tries to act like the teens
3. She claims she is going to be a teenager
4. She is increasingly infatuated with boys

This last fact might be the most disconcerting for me. She got her first “love note” from a boy this year. He is a second grader. I’m not sure that he is good enough for her. His spelling and grammar were pretty rough. I remember having better spelling in second grade. I also don’t remember being that short. I wore a hat and those stubby little arms could never reach.

I know many dads that take their girls out on training dates. I actually think it is a really cool idea when in the context of a solid parental relationship. Girls learn their value and self worth from the men in their lives. If daddy makes them valuable then they will know they are worth it. They are worth respect, dignity, and honor.

Yesterday I took my daughter out for a play. FYI, if you are looking for a fun and cheep date then check local high schools for their play schedules. I wouldn’t say this was a practice date or anything. I’m not remotely ready to think about her dating, but I like to spend time with my kids and taking them out for one on one special time is very important. Showing her she is worth my time now will go a long way to establishing her worth when she does start dating.

The play was The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We got there a bit early and I let her pick the seats. She was going to sit in the back but I asked if she would rather sit closer to the front and she ran to the very front row. Then I asked if she wanted to sit in the front or a couple of rows back, and she picked the third row. Then I let her decide where she wanted to sit and she picked the aisle seat and told me to sit next to her.

Before the play some of the cast came out and sang songs. I talked to my daughter about what was going to happen as we enjoyed the music and she told me the lights would get dark then the lights up front would turn on. Not bad considering it was her first play.

The show started and she was literally on the edge of her seat. Then she was on her feet. She couldn’t see over the person in front of her so I asked if she wanted to sit on my lap. I held her there till the lights came up and she hopped down and asked if we could come back tomorrow. Of course it was only intermission so I explained that we had a few minutes till the play started. Some of the cast came out and sang a couple more songs and we clapped along. I put her back on my lap when the play started and she began clapping. We enjoyed the rest of the play and then went down to meet some of the cast, who happen to be students I know.

She told me that we should have brought her brother and sister because they would have loved it since the play is so awesome. My wife frowns on the use of that word and I generally substitute “frigintastic” to keep my wife happy, but I’m quoting my daughter so I think it is ok.

Do you have kids? How do you show them their value?