Day 569 - 1 Simple Rule for Dating One's Toddler Daughter

Like so many of the blog posts that have come before this one, I'm going to start with an obscure/dated pop-culture reference certain to induce confusion whenever Ellie reads it in the future. Let's get to it!

 

Does anyone out there remember the old TV show, '8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter'? It starred John Ritter until he passed away and was inexplicably replaced by the combination of James Garner and David Spade (yes, David Spade). It was also where Penny from 'The Big Bang Theory' really got her start.

Not '8 Simple Rules' but still Spade.

A little know factoid is that the show was based upon a book which I am unable to tell you anymore about. And with that, comes my inspiration. While I definitely don't have enough material to write a book with, I definitely can offer up a blog post. Therefore, allow me to introduce you to '1 Simple Rule For Dating One's Toddler Daughter'. 

I'm almost positive that I have touched on this topic multiple times over the past couple of years. However, I'll do it once again for the people in the back who haven't been paying attention. The basic premise of dating one's daughter is to give her an example for how a guy should be treating her. Not only that, but it also allows a father to build a lasting and deep connection with his daughter throughout her life. 

Even though Ellie has spent the majority of her life in one-on-one situations with me, I still see the importance in practicing the concept of dating my daughter which is where the 1 Simple Rule comes into play. Simply put, when dating one's toddler daughter, make sure your date consists of something she would enjoy. For us, that has generally been Chick-Fil-A lunch dates. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Yesterday was meant to be one of those date days for us. However, it was put on hold as we ended up meeting my parents for lunch instead. While the Chick-Fil-A portion is still on hold for a bit longer, I decided there was no reason why I couldn't make today all about Ellie.

At least Ellie got an awesome fireman's hat yesterday!

Now, I know you're asking, "How do I make a day all about Ellie?". Simple, we do what she likes. On this occasion, with nothing else on the agenda, I decided that what she would enjoy more than anything was a trip to the library. However, I don't mean just any library. I'm talking about the crown jewel of the Mid-Continental Public Library System: The Woodneath Public Library!

While most of the libraries we frequent are great, the Woodneath branch is something special. For starters, they have the best children's section of any, bar none. Not only do they have the largest selection of books, they also have a variety of activity tables available for kids to interact with at all times. 

After I spent a few minutes perusing the shelves on a quest to find new books for Ellie, we then headed to an activity table to sit down. There, we began to work our way from one table to the next. First, we played with the fish blocks. Then, we wandered to the coloring station. Sadly, even though I really wanted to color a mallard, Ellie insisted I color the clown instead (I may not sleep tonight). With that, we headed to the barnyard animals and dinosaur station.

Actually, this is what will keep me from sleeping tonight...

As I sat down to play with my daughter, I found the table simultaneously overrun by other preschool-aged girls. As I really didn't want to look creepy, I took the opportunity to back off and see just how well Ellie would interact with other kids. End result, I couldn't have been more proud of her as she played nicely and shared with her new friends.

Soon thereafter, the librarians announced that Story Time would be starting soon. While I wasn't planning on attending said event, Ellie couldn't turn down a personalized invitation as it would be rude. Therefore, the two of us wandered into Story Time together to take part in the festivities. By the time everything was all said and done, we had spent nearly two hours at the library!

It's just like I said. The 1 Simple Rule for Dating One's Toddler Daughter is to keep it simple and just do whatever she likes. Keep that in mind and everything will be great. #DaddyWrite