A Date With Dad

This past Sunday was a special day for our family. I had the opportunity to take my two daughters to a Father/Daughter dance in honor of Valentine's Day. They were very excited because they got to dress up in their formal dresses, put on makeup, and even wear the corsages that I had bought for them. But most important for them was that they got to do something special with Dad. The whole experience made a real impact on them because several times since then they've remarked about how much they enjoyed the experience.

It made an impact on me, too, in that it reminded me of the importance of giving my girls a "date" from time to time with Dad. In other words, it's important to offer them the chance to just hang out with Dad doing something that they enjoy.

When my girls were younger and I worked outside the home, I made a point to schedule times that I could go out with each one of my girls doing all sorts of different stuff. Sometimes we'd go out for dinner or ice cream. Sometimes it was something simpler like just allowing one of them to tag along as I run errands.

The purpose of such times is twofold. First, spending time with my girls deepens the relationship that I have with each of them. As they have grown older, they have become more willing to share with me things that they are dealing with as they are maturing into young women. The time that I invested in my relationship with them when they were younger will pay huge dividends as they become teenagers.

Second, time that I spend with them offers me an opportunity to demonstrate to them how a gentleman behaves towards a lady. My daughters' conception of how they should be treated by men will be in large part shaped by how I treat them. Dads can be the best example for their daughters of what to expect from men. A healthly relationship between a daughter and her dad will go a long way towards her having healthy relationships with men as an adult especially when she is married.

A date with your daughter doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. The only thing it requires is time that you're willing to devote to her. As men we have all sorts of things demanding our attention. Our daughters, like our wives, should be a priority. A little time alone with our daughters will be a small sacrifice today that will reap huge rewards in the future.

This post originally appeared at DadBloggers.