Daddy Daughter Dates
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When I first learned that I’d have a daughter I wondered how that would work out for me. Would that mean less time with her since she’d probably want to be around her mother? What kind of fun could we have together? Could I rough house with her or should I treat her like a delicate flower?
From the start it was a mommy love fest. She was stuck to my wife like glue and since she was breast feeding solely I wasn’t needed when it came to her meals, which is a great time to bond with your child. I felt so disconnected with her that I wondered out loud to my wife whether or not she loved me.
Six years later and I can’t believe I ever felt that way. My daughter loves me alright and likes to ask me a million questions, which makes me wish she didn’t love me that much. We rough house and play a some soccer together. She laughs at my funny faces and watches humorous videos with me.
One of my favorite activities for her and I is our daddy daughter dates, which have included going to the movies and hanging out at the beach. Those few hours I spend with her are precious and allow me the opportunity to show her how much I care. During that time she can ask me a million questions and I won’t say no to one. I’ve shared with her personal things like why her grandfather is in prison and why I attempted suicide.
I also ask her questions and find out what her dreams are. Just recently I learned that she wants to study animals. She isn’t sure what type but she knows she loves animals. These are the moments that children remember. Maybe not what is shared especially at my daughter’s age but I believe she’ll remember how she feels. She’ll remember how fun it was to see daddy make funny faces or how safe she felt when daddy held her hand in the ocean.
These are the experiences she won’t get if I’m not around and what kind of father would I be if I took that away from her.
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Pic Credit: Joelle Birano
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