Dads and Daughters

jacksteiner

Dads and Daughters

My daughter once asked me if I was jealous of girls and I said no. She told me that she thought that boys should be because girls can have babies and boys can’t. I told her that it was ok with me and she asked why. It is a reasonable question and something that deserved a thoughtful answer so I said that I love being a boy because there are lots of fun things that boys get to do. She sort of made a face and told me again that she thinks that boys should be jealous and then I realized that my sweet little girl was trying out new material on me.

Yes, the little trickster wanted to find a new way to tease her brother and figured me for an easy mark. I told her that I didn’t want her teasing him and watched as she scrunched up her nose and started giggling. I know that look and laugh. It is the one she gives me when she is trying to be cute and manipulate me. So I scooped her up in my arms, swung her around and tickled her. Love that little girl of mine, even if she is determined to be a troublemaker like her old man.

Sometimes I look her and wonder how I ended up with yet another girl in my life. You see, I grew up with 7,098 sisters and not one single brother. As a boy it was something that made me crazy. Most of the time we got along but when we didn’t it was always girls versus boy. They would work as a team to find ways to get me in trouble and because I was stupid I would react to whatever stimulus they provided. Lest someone think that I am claiming that I never did anything wrong allow me to disabuse you of that misconception.

I am was an expert at teasing them. They might have known how to press my buttons but I understood how to do it too. Sometimes my father would sit me down and explain that one day I would benefit from having so many sisters but that had little impact on the 7,8,9,10, 11 year-old boy I was.

Later on as I entered those wild and woolly years during which girls moved from irritating to interesting he would tell me to be sure to treat girls with respect. “Jack,  when you are staring at girls and thinking about certain things or talking to your friends be sure to remember that someone is saying the same about your sisters.”

There was a lot of truth to that and it stuck with me. It is one of a million different lessons that my father taught me. In my mind it stands next to the discussion where he told me that girls could do anything boys could do, except boys couldn’t hit girls.  I kept waiting for him to sit my sisters down and explain that they couldn’t hit me but it didn’t happen. Perhaps that is because I got to be far too good at herding them into a bedroom and then holding the door shut. Side note: last summer I locked my middle sister in a room and waited for her to start screaming.

It was juvenile, but still fun. It would have worked except I forgot that every mother longs for a few minutes of quiet so in effect I did nothing but make her very happy. I told her that she owes me and she just laughed. Damn girl figured out how to get me again.

Last weekend my daughter told me that she wants to have a daddy/daughter day. I said that I think it is a great idea and said that we should think about what we should do. She nodded her head and walked away. I didn’t realize that she intended to do it that day but when she reappeared with her hair in a ponytail and a purse draped over her shoulder I learned otherwise. She walked up, tapped me on the shoulder and said that the newspaper would still be there later.

For a moment I had to stop and stare at her- this girl with dark hair, dark eyes and freckles. I asked her what she thought she was doing and she said that she was getting me ready to leave and then she said, “get moving we have places to go.” Needless to say she was disappointed when I told her that we already had plans for the day so daddy/daughter day would have to wait but I promised to make it up to her as soon as possible.

I kid around sometimes and say that I am going to have to beat up the boys that try to date her. She tells me that I better not and I say that I need to protect her but sometimes I think that it might be the boys who need to be protected from her. She is smart, independent and exceptionally confident. Something tells me that this girl of mine is going to make life a whole lot more interesting. But that is ok, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

(Visited 202 times, 1 visits today)

32 Comments

  1. Leon Noone May 14, 2011 at 2:11 pm

    G’Day Jack,
    Just couldn’t let this pass. I have one sister, one wife, three adult daughters and four grand-daughters aged 18, 11 ant 7 year old twins.

    Understand this. Never, ever ask me for advice about relationships with women. I retired hurt years ago. But life is always bloody interesting!

    It’s one way to have fun

    Regards

    Leon 

    • The JackB May 14, 2011 at 5:18 pm

      @3884c43f625610ab1bb99b677867ea2a:disqus  Leon, It sounds to me like you have your hands full, but in a good way. Bloody interesting is the perfect description.

  2. Leon Noone May 14, 2011 at 10:11 pm

    G’Day Jack,
    Just couldn’t let this pass. I have one sister, one wife, three adult daughters and four grand-daughters aged 18, 11 ant 7 year old twins.

    Understand this. Never, ever ask me for advice about relationships with women. I retired hurt years ago. But life is always bloody interesting!

    It’s one way to have fun

    Regards

    Leon 

    • The JackB May 15, 2011 at 1:18 am

      @3884c43f625610ab1bb99b677867ea2a:disqus  Leon, It sounds to me like you have your hands full, but in a good way. Bloody interesting is the perfect description.

  3. Mark Harai May 14, 2011 at 12:23 pm

     I finally figured out why were having so many kids, so I turned in my ski’s and cold weather and headed for the beach : )

    It’s too hot for too much lovin’ and seems to have solved the problem, for now…

    Have a great weekend Jack!

    • The JackB May 14, 2011 at 5:16 pm

      @markharai:disqus  Ah, so you are saying that my living in a warmer climate is responsible for having fewer kids. 😉 Have a great weekend Mark- everything I hear about Costa Rica makes me think that one of these days I need to visit.

  4. Mark Harai May 14, 2011 at 8:23 pm

     I finally figured out why were having so many kids, so I turned in my ski’s and cold weather and headed for the beach : )

    It’s too hot for too much lovin’ and seems to have solved the problem, for now…

    Have a great weekend Jack!

    • The JackB May 15, 2011 at 1:16 am

      @markharai:disqus  Ah, so you are saying that my living in a warmer climate is responsible for having fewer kids. 😉 Have a great weekend Mark- everything I hear about Costa Rica makes me think that one of these days I need to visit.

  5. Adam May 14, 2011 at 10:18 am

    I only have one sister (older), and that was enough for me. She wouldn’t find ways to get me in trouble, but I was ALWAYS doing whatever she wanted me to do. Even if I didn’t want to, she got her way.

  6. Adam May 14, 2011 at 6:18 pm

    I only have one sister (older), and that was enough for me. She wouldn’t find ways to get me in trouble, but I was ALWAYS doing whatever she wanted me to do. Even if I didn’t want to, she got her way.

  7. Gini Dietrich May 14, 2011 at 8:39 am

    7,098 sisters?!? Your poor mother!

  8. Gini Dietrich May 14, 2011 at 4:39 pm

    7,098 sisters?!? Your poor mother!

  9. Mark Harai May 14, 2011 at 5:14 am

    Nope, you’re wrong Jack – you’re going to have to set some boys straight!

    My three daughters, 22, 18, 17 have been a handful… dang boys!!!

    I still have a 13 year (handful) old going on 30 and a 9 year old to remember how sweet they all used to be : )

    I thank God everyday for my two boys!

    Cheers Jack and good luck : )

    • The JackB May 14, 2011 at 8:46 am

      @markharai:disqus  My daughter knows that there are two basic rules to remember.
      1) She is only allowed to date boys who can defeat me in single combat. Those matches only end in death.
      2) She is not allowed to grow her hair long enough for anyone to climb into the tower she lives in. 😉

      Five kids? You do have your hands full, don’t you. Actually I would have easily had more children but got overruled on that one.

      • Mark Harai May 14, 2011 at 12:13 pm

        Actually Jack, you missed the two boys – LOL!

        That makes it 7 : )

        • The JackB May 14, 2011 at 12:16 pm

          @markharai:disqus  7? I am impressed. Sixteen years ago I told my fiance that I wanted six kids and she told me that I might want to find a few more wives or figure out how to give birth to three.
          Well, I haven’t figured out how to give birth so I am a little bit short of 7. 😉

  10. Mark Harai May 14, 2011 at 1:14 pm

    Nope, you’re wrong Jack – you’re going to have to set some boys straight!

    My three daughters, 22, 18, 17 have been a handful… dang boys!!!

    I still have a 13 year (handful) old going on 30 and a 9 year old to remember how sweet they all used to be : )

    I thank God everyday for my two boys!

    Cheers Jack and good luck : )

    • The JackB May 14, 2011 at 4:46 pm

      @markharai:disqus  My daughter knows that there are two basic rules to remember.
      1) She is only allowed to date boys who can defeat me in single combat. Those matches only end in death.
      2) She is not allowed to grow her hair long enough for anyone to climb into the tower she lives in. 😉

      Five kids? You do have your hands full, don’t you. Actually I would have easily had more children but got overruled on that one.

      • Mark Harai May 14, 2011 at 8:13 pm

        Actually Jack, you missed the two boys – LOL!

        That makes it 7 : )

        • The JackB May 14, 2011 at 8:16 pm

          @markharai:disqus  7? I am impressed. Sixteen years ago I told my fiance that I wanted six kids and she told me that I might want to find a few more wives or figure out how to give birth to three.
          Well, I haven’t figured out how to give birth so I am a little bit short of 7. 😉

  11. Columbiarose May 13, 2011 at 3:53 pm

    Isn’t it amazing how, although we don’t select the children we birth, we love them with a depth we didn’t realize was possible until they entered our lives?

  12. Columbiarose May 13, 2011 at 11:53 pm

    Isn’t it amazing how, although we don’t select the children we birth, we love them with a depth we didn’t realize was possible until they entered our lives?

  13. Carina Clark May 13, 2011 at 2:57 pm

     So as your reporting of how many sisters you grew up with has ranged from the millions to 7,098, how many sisters did you grow up with? I’m imagining that seven thousand is a bit on the exaggerated side.

    • The JackB May 14, 2011 at 8:47 am

      @google-ce6b1f8ea80af2ee7554d4638a53329c:disqus  yes, 7098 is a slight exaggeration. Really if anything it is an understatement. 
      But for the sake of posterity I’ll say that there were four of them and just one of me.

  14. Carina Clark May 13, 2011 at 10:57 pm

     So as your reporting of how many sisters you grew up with has ranged from the millions to 7,098, how many sisters did you grow up with? I’m imagining that seven thousand is a bit on the exaggerated side.

    • The JackB May 14, 2011 at 4:47 pm

      @google-ce6b1f8ea80af2ee7554d4638a53329c:disqus  yes, 7098 is a slight exaggeration. Really if anything it is an understatement. 
      But for the sake of posterity I’ll say that there were four of them and just one of me.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

You may also like