Proud Dad Moment. Son starts dating.

My parents were pretty heavy with the teasing, too. When SonofQuant started "dating" (as a freshman in high school), I didn't hesitate to blandly serve as a seen-and-not-heard chauffeur/chaperone for said dates, and I made it a point to be totally neutral in any post-game analysis (She's nice ... what'd y'all get to eat?). All along I was thinking to myself, "This might have been fun when I was a kid ... too bad my parents couldn't find it in them to knock the shit off." Because there was no way in hell I would have gone on a date with my parents within 10 zip codes, given their proclivities.

 

Our oldest is 19 and has been dating for a couple years. She has brought home some real losers but they never lasted long.

Currently dating a fairly high level hockey player who is trying to play for the local university next year, good kid, dry sense of humor and he is relaxing more around me all the time.

I always made a point to not tease or make a big deal the way my wife and 2 sister in laws would as I wanted her to to talk to us and not feel that too big of a deal would be made.

Sort of against the grain but I hope she has a few different partners because I don't want her to marry and settle too young the way her Mom did. (I am the step-dad).

My 8 year old already is a big flirt as is her 4 tear old brother. Think we are in real trouble with those 2.

 

Sounds like your 19 year old is lucky to have you for a dad Chet. Good luck with the young ones.

 

My parents are pretty blatantly racist, in the sanctity of their home.

Growing up I messed around with all flavors of girls -- white, black, Mexican etc etc etc; L.A., the stew of life -- but never brought any girls home.

I was 18 when I had my first girlfriend, who was black. One day I'm in the living room with my parents and float the idea of having a black girlfriend and the way they reacted and looked at me as if I sullied the family name or something resonated loud and clear so I never brought the girlfriend home to meet them. Didn't need to expose her to that. My parents would have grinned and bared the situation but they didn't even deserve that right based on their reaction a week earlier when I even suggested I might be dating a black girl.

I've never spoken of girlfriends, of my dating scene, since then. Kind of fucked up but whatever.

 

It's funny because my best friend from college does things like whistle at cheerleaders while he's watching games with his son, who is about 10 now, and has been doing so since the boy was probably a toddler. Just the natural order of things for him. It would never remotely occur to me to encourage that. But, like I said, I'm in the minority, I believe. Nothing seems to get more Facebook "likes" than someone posting about their first- or second- or third-grader's romantic interests.

 

I have to admit that my parents' approach had at least some upside (for them): I sure as hell never had any girls around the house, so they never had that awkwardness to deal with. As a senior in high school last year, SonofQuant had a girlfriend who was around the house a good bit. Once I came in from a weekday round of golf to find them having lunch (their high school allows juniors and seniors to go off-campus for lunch). The moment he came in from school that day I informed him that until further notice he was NOT to have female guests over without me or MommaQuant present.

 

Talk about your c-blockers!

 

Indeed ...

 

I had almost the opposite situation with my mom, who is one of the most pathologically nervous overthinkers you will ever meet. The first time I introduced my wife to my parents was when they were picking me up for a college graduation party. I gave mom approximately 30 seconds of notice that my girlfriend would be joining us for the ride to keep her from thinking about it too much.

 

I'm not a flirt at all and had more success with women playing my long game rather than the short game.

I think the little kids get it because right now they are comfortable with older kids and teenagers because of their older sister. This comfort seems to translate to an easy flirtiness.

We have friends with 2 daughters and are always commenting on how their girl will marry our boy and it drives me nuts.

 

My mom was like that too, coupled with being extremely overbearing and needy.

Luckily, right or wrong, I've always been very headstrong and cocksure, so it never bothered me to ignore it or tell her to fuck off.

I'm pretty sure my kids are going to be the exact same way. Hopefully they're a little smarter when left to their own devices than I was.

My main problem is going to be that I want my kids to know how much relationship-based pain and suffering hurts, but I don't want them to know how I know that.

 

I'm starting to think you might be my brother. Divorce. Same mom, apparently. You have kids, though. He has ... an extensive collection of special-issue craft beers.