Dad's Rules For Dating

It goes without saying that our father's rules for his daughters' dating lives differed greatly from what he expected of his sons. When my sister and I tried to gain some parity with our brothers, it was always a no go.


For Les Girls


1. No key to the house till you're 17 (Ring the bell, Dad will answer) (He mostly answered except for the times he slept so soundly he did not hear the bell)

2. Do not come home pregnant (this was an edict issued on a first date to an in house coed party when we were 12!)

3. No boys to call us on the phone after 8:00pm.

4. No going out with any boys who did not come to the front door to collect us

5. No dating at all before the prospective beau sat down for "the" chat in the tall backed 'interview' chair in the living-room

6. No dancing cheek to cheek especially at family celebrations or Dad would simply dance/follow you around the dance floor with Mom in his arms

7. No pdas.

8. Curfew ALWAYS non-negotiable

9. No make-up

10. No boys at home unless parents were there too

In later years one rule was added:

11. If after an interview Dad offered the young man in question a drink, and his offer was accepted, Dad served the drink and announced that the suitor was probably an alcoholic and therefore entirely unsuitable.


For Les Boys


1. Do you have your key?


2. Do you need the car?


3. Don't forget to fill up the tank if you do a lot of driving


4. Have fun and see you in the morning



Note to my brothers who found our rules quite humorous: It is very clear that Dad loved us more because he gave us way more rules and regs!






Happy Father's Day to the man who always kept us safe, WE were the luckiest.