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We read a lot of stories about conflict between girlfriend and boyfriend, husband and wife. And, yeah, those are interesting, but I don’t think it gives us the full picture. Girlfriends and boyfriends are biased – but families…well, families are just far enough outside the drama to see pretty clearly what’s really going on.
Check out these 19 dads who tell us just how great their daughters catches were. In some cases, they really wish their daughters had thought so too.
1. Good call
My daughter is currently living with her boyfriend, and he’s the nicest guy she’s ever dated. He’s five years older than her, and works for a bank as a programmer and software analyst. He’s 27, and makes slightly more than I do at 55. He studies philosophy, and wants to teach. He’s unfailingly polite, and clearly adores my daughter. He stuck with her through a health crisis that lasted months.
We just got back from a week in Orlando with the whole family and the boyfriend, and he was good company the whole time. He shares my terror of heights and wild rollercoasters, so he and I spent some time talking while the rest of the family rode coasters at Universal. The day we went to SeaWorld, he stayed behind and cleaned the condo, washed dishes, and did laundry. We have decided he’s definitely son-in-law material.
2. No, he can’t
Her current one, but they’ve been dating for years. He’s just a quiet, hard working guy that keeps to his own. He likes comics, too, so he can’t be all bad.
3. “The Jerk Whisperer”
My daughter’s current boyfriend. They have been together for a few years and he seems to be turning into a good man. My daughter, while I love her more than life itself, has a bit of an attitude issue. She can be a real jerk sometimes. He has a way of calming her down when she gets riled up, hence he has earned the title of “The Jerk Whisperer”.
4. Don’t judge
Parents, make sure you get to know the boy rather than judging him on superficial impressions.
My parents loved my football-player boyfriend who was gregarious and outgoing. They were chilly toward a later boyfriend who was socially awkward and reserved. Turns out the football player talked trash about me on the school bus. The quiet guy married me and twenty years later we have two beautiful children and a wonderful life together.
5. No, definitely not okay
My daughter is still a teen and her boyfriends have not been serious yet. I don’t have a favorite, but my least favorite is the one who was too intimidated to speak to me or my wife. It bothered my daughter too, so it wasn’t just us old parents being weird.
6. That’s a weird convo
My daughter had just turned 18 and came to me asking for help in getting birth control pills. She’s had the same boyfriend since she was 14. He’s a great kid who holds down a job, manages his money well, respectful and a bit shy, just an all round decent type. Also has very strict parents.
So one day I get a call that his first car has broken down on a highway nearby, and he could use some help getting his car towed to the shop and a ride home. He’s unusually quiet on the ride home, and suddenly he speaks up and asks me if I could stop somewhere and buy him some condoms. Cue two minutes of dead silence and embarrassment.
I pull into a Lawton’s and spend a good 15 minutes looking for condoms I could only guess as appropriate, and return to the car to give them to him. More blushing and awkwardness. Surprise! When we arrive at his place he earnestly asks if he could leave them in my truck! So I store them in the bin, still in that brown paper bag they came in. A month later they went missing.
He’s finishing college soon, she’s an educator, and they’re still very committed to each other. I see bouquets and babies in the future. I’m good with that.
7. With sugar on top
After my boyfriend met my dad for the first time, we drove him home and on the way there we stopped at a McDonald’s. Both my dad and I are coffee drinkers, and my dad likes his exceptionally sweet.
I always get a bit embarrassed when others see him pouring literally 15 sachets into a small cappuccino cup, so I apologised to my boyfriend out of habit. My boyfriend responds with “he needs all that sugar because he’s a sweet man!”.
Needless to say, my dad is very fond of him!
8. Long con
One daughter. She’s 7. She had a “boyfriend” that gave her Pokemon cards at school for free.
She said she didn’t like him, she just wanted cards.
That’s how papa raised you. Good going. The long con.
9. Makes a Connection
I’m the daughter in question, but it is obvious that my current significant is my dad’s favorite, and the reason why is very clear: he brought a BB-8 robot when he first met my family at my college graduation, so that he could better connect with my autistic brother. Now, whenever we visit my family, my brother will talk to him for hours about interests he usually only shares with family. Most recently, my significant sat with him for 2 hours at a wedding reception just talking about Pokemon.
He’s obviously an introvert, and can get overwhelmed by social situations, but at every turn he has made it clear that he cares about me, and that he sees caring for and being kind to my family as a natural extension of that. Also, he’s a programmer, and my dad is a programmer, that helps.
10. So will they stay together?
Not a father, but elder brother. He’s polite, well mannered, well read. Makes my sister learn about things and they do very interesting things together. He’s moving away now and I feel bad cause it’s hard coming across guys like this.
11. Us too
Older brother here.
The little sister has had two “boyfriends” that I’m aware of. The first one currently works about 15 hours a week while volunteering at open mic nights in the hopes that “when they make it big, they will take me with” as a sound tech.
The other is a college student who is applying for real jobs, and bought her flowers for her high school graduation. He got a haircut when he started applying for jobs and has had a conversation with me in regards to how I work in the professional field with my tattoos and how to cover them if need be (nothing on face, neck, or hands).
I’m cheering for dude #2 and he isn’t winning.
