Proud Dad Moment. Son starts dating.

[exmediahack]

Curious if anyone else ever got to see that coming of age moment with a child.

Earlier this week, our son got his braces off. I drove him from the ortho to school and he was smiling like I haven't seen in more than a year.

What are you going to do?

Eighth-grade son replies: "I'm going to ask out so-and-so to see Captain America on Saturday."

So-and-so is probably the prettiest girl in the whole damn middle school.

She said yes.

Not a bad first date of his life.

Kid has been glowing all weekend. Got back last night around 10:30 as part of a double-date. Driving now to his baseball games and he's just so happy.

I love the guts he had in asking for what he wanted.

 

[BDC99]

Could he tell you if he liked the movie? Lol. Well done, lil ex!

 

[exmediahack]

He scraped together $27 and I gave him an extra $40 along with a money clip with advice not to be cheap.

Then I added the $40 is a one-time thing. Not for every date. He smiled and left a few minutes later.

When I was his age, I was an outcast and very socially awkward. I've wanted nothing more than our children to not experience the feelings of isolation and awkwardness that I did. :)

 

[BDC99]

I was never an outcast but always struggled to go after the girl I wanted. Think it hurt that I didn't have a dad to push me, so you should be very proud. (Dad died when I was 14)

 

[User 11148]

Keep him the hell away from DaughterQuant.

 

[Vombatus]

 

[Earthman]

Congrats but you need to stop looking at those middle school girls. :)

 

[User 11148]

It's funny, but I do sort of "check out" the young ladies my son (finishing up his freshman year in college) finds himself around. Not in any sort of lecherous way, but in a sort of "Wow, if I were your age that's who I'd be drawn to" way. I share absolutely none of these thoughts with him, of course. Sons gonna do what sons gonna do.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

When I was, I think, a sophomore in high school I dated a girl for a few months. One day my dad was at one of our track meets and noticed the girl and I seemed to be avoiding each other and I seemed generally pissed off.

So he asks and I tell him we broke up. His response was don't worry about it and then listed off five girls I should ask out he thought were hotter.

 

[Riptide]

It's funny, but I do sort of "check out" the young ladies my son (finishing up his freshman year in college) finds himself around. Not in any sort of lecherous way, but in a sort of "Wow, if I were your age that's who I'd be drawn to" way. I share absolutely none of these thoughts with him, of course. Sons gonna do what sons gonna do.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Got any daughters, exmedia? Just curious.

 

[outofplace]

That's the other side of this discussion, how we feel when our daughters start dating. Not exactly the same feeling.

 

[Starman]

StarSis, as devotees of the various kids' sports threads know, has four daughters aged 6 to 15, and holy moley, I don't envy her and Hubby one bit. They're going to be chasing boys off pretty much the next 12 years.

Actually, as the 16-years-older brother, I had to wear the Darth Vader armor when StarSis herself got involved with a real piece of work her junior year in HS.

I only met this mook twice, he was rude, aloof and bossy toward Sis. A couple of weeks later, I got word this dude had hit her, so it was time for a little visitation ( along with StarBro, then a college senior).

He was convinced to go away immediately and forever, after being introduced to the side of an aluminum siding wall.

That'll be a piece of family lore the kiddies won't hear. (I don't know for sure if Sis has ever discussed it with Hubby.)

 

[Riptide]

Starman Justice!

 

[JC]

It's funny, but I do sort of "check out" the young ladies my son (finishing up his freshman year in college) finds himself around. Not in any sort of lecherous way, but in a sort of "Wow, if I were your age that's who I'd be drawn to" way. I share absolutely none of these thoughts with him, of course. Sons gonna do what sons gonna do.

Human nature

 

[JC]

I was never an outcast but always struggled to go after the girl I wanted. Think it hurt that I didn't have a dad to push me, so you should be very proud. (Dad died when I was 14)

That is awful. Sorry

 

[exmediahack]

Got any daughters, exmedia? Just curious.

Yes. A couple of years behind.

Already bracing for that craziness.

 

[Vombatus]

Someone should start a birds and bees thread.

 

[Earthman]

Someone should start a birds and bees thread.

At what age do you start handing your kid a rubber along with the $40 for the movie.

 

[MisterCreosote]

Bad dating decisions run in our family, so I'll be equally wary when both my son and my daughter start dating.