On being Prince Charming

A couple years ago I took my eldest daughter to our first Daddy-Daughter Dance; she was only five at the time.  I knew it was going to be fun, but I had no idea just how much fun I was going to have.  We went all out; bought a new dress and shoes and I even bought a little corsage.  On the night of the dance I decided that instead of simply behaving gentlemanly I was going to treat my little girl like a princess, and I would be her Prince Charming.  I knew treating her like royalty would be nothing short of magical for her.  I didn’t simply behave as a gentleman should, I went far beyond that.

After that night I got to thinking about all the sources of information my two little daughters have access to when it comes to dating and relationships.  And the first source that came to my mind was me.

Our children learn so much just by watching us, their fathers.  In their little minds they are creating their own Prince Charming - their ideal mate.  It’s difficult to comprehend, but that’s the reality of it and it starts sooner than we’d all like.  So I decided that since I knew this mental process was going to take place whether I approved of it or not, I might as well be proactive and try to influence it immediately.  Treating my daughters like little princesses isn’t too difficult.  Of course they’re going to feel special when they’re on the receiving end.  I realized, however, that before I treat them like little ladies, allowing them to see me treat mommy like a lady is just as, if not more, important.

Treating my wife like a lady means a lot to me, it means a lot to her and our children might not realize it now, but it means a lot to them.  Every time I open the car door for my wife, hold the door when entering a restaurant or tell her “I love you”, my two little girls are listening, watching, memorizing.  I have to believe that our actions towards our wives begin to set the stage for what our daughters will come to expect – monkey see monkey do kind of thinking here. 

I’ve never met a father who wanted anything less than the best for his daughter; and a mate is certainly on that list.  You see, I figured if I help create a certain expectation within my daughters for how they should be treated, they will hopefully be less likely to stick with an unsuitable boy.

My wife is helping with this too.  As a young woman she had expectations for how a boy should treat her, and she’s already started discussing that with our young daughters. 

As parents we all have the responsibility to demonstrate the behaviors we want our children to one day exude.  Let us do what’s right and good and let our daughters witness that.

So, men, let’s show our daughters how ladies should be treated shall we? Open the door for mommy when you go to the car, kiss her when you see each other after a long day apart, hug a lot, kiss her on the hand and then look over at your daughter and wink at her – watch your little girl blush as she sees you as the prince you ought to be.  Maybe one day she’ll remember that moment and want it for herself.