I once heard you tell a woman that it’s the father’s job to lay down the law regarding their teenage daughter’s boyfriend. When I was about 15, a boy walked me home from school, and carried my books and his the whole distance. When my father got home from work, he noticed the boy’s report card sitting on top of his books on the kitchen table. My father read his report card, and saw that it was full of bad grades!
My dad immediately stormed into the living room where we were sitting on the couch, report card in hand, and said to him: “Get the hell home, boy, and start studying!! No one sees my daughter with grades like these!!”
The boy jumped up, grabbed his things and ran home. My mother and I sat, shocked, but neither of us even considered questioning my dad. That was my first boyfriend, but every guy after that knew exactly what my father expected, because he made no bones about telling them before we could leave for our date. My father also always gave me money in front of the guy, so I could call him if I had any trouble!
Cynthia
My Father Set High Standards for My Teenage Boyfriends
