Not that I didn't enjoy reading the first few pages of this dumpster fire, but I've got a few thoughts on the topic and questions for the older (more experienced) dads than me because my oldest is just getting to this age and I'm just getting started on this.
So, some facts of life I've had to come to terms with having two beautiful daughters and a son between them. Someone is going to break all their hearts at least once. They're probably going to have some bad experience in relationships at some point. My prayer is that those lessons help revile what God has planned for my kids and that ultimately they fall in love and live happily ever after.
Having said that..... children make mistakes. My oldest daughter already has one idiot ex boyfriend, but as soon as she breaks up with one buy another will start calling. I get it, she's a smart, pretty, funny, cool girl to hang out with, and as a dad I'm glad she gets some attention I just wish it wasn't a constant stream of phone calls from boys that she meets. The irony is that they're nice boys she meets at church functions. I don't have plans to try and scare boys and I've found that they're usually more worried the less I say. Honestly, most of the gun owners I meet are usually the least intimidating people I meet and the ones who think they're some tough guy just because they bought some "XYZ" are usually the biggest jokes in the bunch. It's kinda like the guy with a "no fear" sticker on his car who's never been in a fight, never served, and has zero grit but all the mouth. I really don't want to be that guy, and I don't advertise that I have guns, but if asked I won't shy away from it either. My hope is that some day when my daughter gets married I have enough respect for the man she marries that I give him a home defense rifle as a gift at their wedding saying something to the effect of "she's still my daughter and will always be my little girl, but as a husband it's now your job to provide, protect and love her. If you need me, I'll be there and have your back". My daughter is doing an increasingly better job of sorting out the dumbies from the good ones the older she gets.
With my son, I've told him that he may be on the other side of the intimidation and jokes when he goes up to some young ladies door to pick her up for a date. If some girls dad wants to try and intimidate him, then he gets that right as the girls father. Whether or not my son takes it serious or not is really up to him. I've done my best to raise him up to be a good man some day and I hope that God has plans for him to marry a women of quality and is worthy. A big part of that makes sure he's not some little dirt bag and so far he's impressing me.
All things considered, I get the jokes and I think they're funny. I don't really plan on doing any of that myself, but if I ever get a call from a hospital or have to go pick up a bruised up daughter I can only hope and pray that I'll handle that well. Just my two cents.
So, some facts of life I've had to come to terms with having two beautiful daughters and a son between them. Someone is going to break all their hearts at least once. They're probably going to have some bad experience in relationships at some point. My prayer is that those lessons help revile what God has planned for my kids and that ultimately they fall in love and live happily ever after.
Having said that..... children make mistakes. My oldest daughter already has one idiot ex boyfriend, but as soon as she breaks up with one buy another will start calling. I get it, she's a smart, pretty, funny, cool girl to hang out with, and as a dad I'm glad she gets some attention I just wish it wasn't a constant stream of phone calls from boys that she meets. The irony is that they're nice boys she meets at church functions. I don't have plans to try and scare boys and I've found that they're usually more worried the less I say. Honestly, most of the gun owners I meet are usually the least intimidating people I meet and the ones who think they're some tough guy just because they bought some "XYZ" are usually the biggest jokes in the bunch. It's kinda like the guy with a "no fear" sticker on his car who's never been in a fight, never served, and has zero grit but all the mouth. I really don't want to be that guy, and I don't advertise that I have guns, but if asked I won't shy away from it either. My hope is that some day when my daughter gets married I have enough respect for the man she marries that I give him a home defense rifle as a gift at their wedding saying something to the effect of "she's still my daughter and will always be my little girl, but as a husband it's now your job to provide, protect and love her. If you need me, I'll be there and have your back". My daughter is doing an increasingly better job of sorting out the dumbies from the good ones the older she gets.
With my son, I've told him that he may be on the other side of the intimidation and jokes when he goes up to some young ladies door to pick her up for a date. If some girls dad wants to try and intimidate him, then he gets that right as the girls father. Whether or not my son takes it serious or not is really up to him. I've done my best to raise him up to be a good man some day and I hope that God has plans for him to marry a women of quality and is worthy. A big part of that makes sure he's not some little dirt bag and so far he's impressing me.
All things considered, I get the jokes and I think they're funny. I don't really plan on doing any of that myself, but if I ever get a call from a hospital or have to go pick up a bruised up daughter I can only hope and pray that I'll handle that well. Just my two cents.