A Renaissance Daddy Daughter Dance

Prom, 2011

I had the wonderful privilege of taking my two daughters, ages three and five, to a Daddy-Daughter dance last week. It was not the first time that I have taken one of my girls to a dance. My oldest daughter accompanied me to a prom that I was chaperoning when she was two. Yeah, I took her to her first prom, and I will make sure that she hears about it in her high school years. I also took her to a Daddy Daughter dance last year. This, however, was the first time that I took both girls.

We talked about the dance for weeks. I bought them both corsages, and realized that florists know that dads buying corsages for their girls will pay anything for them, because they charge an arm and a leg. Regardless, the girls got their butterfly corsages that matched their outfits. I wore a suit, polished my shoes, and let them pick out my tie. I figured that I would probably be one of the most dressed up dads, but I had no idea by how much.

Daddy Daughter Dance, 2013

Not only was I the most dressed up dad, but I could have been one of the most dressed up dads by wearing jeans and a polo. Don't get me wrong. I was very happy that there were parents that came to the dance. But it seems to me that if you're going to make the effort to go to the dance, you should go to the effort to dress up for your child. I don't particularly like dressing up on a Friday night. Nor do I like to jump around like a dork to music that I've never heard in front of people I don't know. But I was not at the dance for myself. I was at the dance for my daughters. I dressed up and danced with my girls because I want them to know how much I love them. More importantly, I want them to know how they should be respected when they're older and going on a date. I am instilling an expectation in them that they are worth getting dressed up for.

Daddy Daughter Dance, 2014

You see, a Renaissance Dad does not just do things for himself. He does things for his family. He gets uncomfortable because it means a lot to his kids. He buys them overpriced corsages because he wants to see the look on their faces when they get fancy. He spins and twirls them because they giggle and feel loved. A Renaissance Dad sets the bar high, because his kids are worth it.


So, to the future teenage boy who plans on taking my daughter out... Know that you should dress like you care about yourself, because that's what my daughters will expect. Know that you will treat my daughter with respect, because that is how they are treated at home and they know they are worth it. And know, that if you are taking my daughter to prom, you better take a dance lesson...because her dad has some sweet moves on the dance floor.