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Writer's pictureAustin Bullard

The Ultimate Daddy/Daughter Date: Making Memories That Last a Lifetime

Updated: Feb 21


There are few precious times we get to impress our daughters. Moments that will never be forgotten. This year, if you want your daughter to experience what it means to be treated like a princess, make sure Valentine's Day is one of these moments. 


Take your daughter on a date. Give her the time of her life so she can have an example of what the perfect date entails. That way, when a boy does come into the picture, she will have a standard to judge his character by. 




a pen and paper


Set a time for your date


Write her a letter with three options of dates/times to choose from that are a few days away from the moment she receives the letter. Have her choose which of the three options works best for her so she will feel invested and have something to look forward to. 


Hype it up, day after day. Let her know how much it means to you that you will be spending quality time with her. If she isn’t too excited at first, doing this will help get her excited by the time of the date. 





a sharply dressed man


Dress up


Dress up for your date. If you’re trying to show your daughter how much she means to you, would you go out looking like you do every other day of the year? No. That’s not special at all. 


If you’ve been hyping this moment up all week then live up to the expectations, dress nice. A button-up shirt, slacks, and a coat at minimum. If you don’t have these, borrow them from a friend. Remember, you want her to remember this for the rest of her life. Every detail about this date matters. It shows her you’re taking this seriously, and it might even be a pleasant surprise for her.





a girl holding flowers


Buy flowers


Make sure you buy your daughter flowers. If you’re trying to make this date special, you need to spend time choosing a lovely bouquet that will make her smile from ear to ear. Think of it this way: that bouquet you’re giving to her also represents how beautiful you think she is. Don’t break the bank on flowers, but be sure not to choose a bouquet that has wilting pedals. 


When it’s time to pick her up for your date, meet her at the door. Whether it’s your front door or the door to her own room, it makes no difference. When she opens the door, you’ll be standing there looking dapper in your suit, with a smile on your face, ready to hand her that beautiful bouquet. 







a reservation table at a restaurant


Take her out to eat


After all the pleasantries are made, flowers are given, and you quit crying because of how beautiful she looks, take her out to a restaurant. No, not McDonalds, a nice restaurant. Again, every detail matters. If she loves pizza, take her to the best Italian place you know. If she simply enjoys chicken fingers, take her to the greatest Southern comfort food restaurant around (in my town it’s Cracker Barrel). 


During the time at the restaurant, give her all the praise you can. Compliment her, ask her questions, and be fully invested in the time you are spending together. If there’s a lull in the conversation, that’s perfectly fine. Think of it as a symphony. The song being played wouldn’t be as beautiful if it was only fast-paced the whole time. There needs to be slow – or slower – parts for any symphony to be truly remarkable. The same goes for your date. 




a girl holding up her hand


Dance


When the check is paid for, drive back home. She may think the date is over while y’all are walking to the front door, but then, as soon as both of y’all are inside, turn on the surprise playlist you made prior to the date so y’all can have a daddy/daughter dance in the comfort of your own home. Include 30 minutes worth of songs just in case y’all find yourselves having a blast. Have a mix of slow and fun songs to dance to. 


This is the time to either show off your best dance moves or humble yourself and step outside your comfort zone if you’ve never danced before. Either way, don’t forget it’s all about making your daughter feel special and showing her a good time. 




fireworks


Watch fireworks


If you have a TV in the living room – assuming this is where you’re holding your dance – find a way to get onto YouTube and search for the Disney World fireworks display. That fireworks show is amazing. If you don’t have a smart TV then connect your laptop to the TV via HDMI cable, use your laptop to get onto Youtube, then watch the show on the TV just the same. 


If you’d prefer another fireworks display, there are digital fireworks shows you can search for as well on YouTube. Those digital shows can last longer than an actual fireworks show. Either option you choose will give you that special moment, the cherry on the icing moment, to the end of your date. 



heart lights


Walk her to the door


Just as you started this date by meeting her at the door, leave the date by walking her to the door. This part is imperative. Make sure you properly end the date so your daughter will feel like it was a truly special, magical experience and memory that can’t be tarnished. 


Just like a book, there’s a proper introduction, a middle, and an end. If the author just says “bye” without a proper ending, wouldn’t you feel awkward? The experience of reading that book would suffer. Don’t be that author. Walk her to the door of her own room, say you had a great time, hug her, kiss her on the cheek, and let her walk inside her room. Then the date is over. You can simply go to your room, change out of your clothes, and go on about your evening.






a father doing his daughters hair


After the date


Once everything is over and you’ve gotten back to your regular self, try not to bring up the date for the rest of the night. Give her time to reflect on how she thought it went without having to relay that to you. Give her time to process how special you made her feel, how much you love her, and how important she means to you. You can always tell her all that the next day, but let her have that night. After all, the date is more for her than for you.


During the next few days, follow up with your daughter. That’s when you want to ask her how she liked the date, her favorite part, and any other questions you may have. Share your experience as well. Here’s your chance to be vulnerable with her which might just give her new insight into who you are. 


This date idea is perfect if you want to show your daughter your creative side, especially if you want to show her how her future boyfriend – or husband – should treat her. Not only will this date surprise her, but you and your daughter will get to bond and enjoy each other’s company. 


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