Daddy and daughter date nights?

Exactly. I have a date with a friend to go shopping Saturday. Just today I sent a text to a colleague who requested a meeting at a specific time on Friday: "It's a date. See you then." In the US, "date" often has non-romantic connotations.

American here - we definitely just use the term date for anything really. I’d say we’re having a girls date if my friends and I were meeting up for dinner or my mum used to say mommy-daughter date. See also, play date. I think it’s meant as a date to do something not a date as in romantically.

I’ve taken my children out on dates for years. I have 4 kids and it means “Mum (and/or Dad) and Kid X are going to spend time doing something Kid X loves without the rest of the gang competing for my attention”. But calling it date night is quicker.

It has its roots in conservative Christian culture, the idea that a father must show his daughter how a man ought to treat her, so when she stops guarding her 'purity' and marries, she chooses a husband who will slot into those fixed gender roles with her (paying for everything, getting her coat, pulling a chair out for her and so forth

I watched a documentary on this once. It was one of the creepiest, most skin crawling things I've ever watched. These fathers were so over invested in their daughters' sexual matters it was sick. They must be pretty piss poor dads' if they need a specific, special occasion to demonstrate how a girl/lady should be treated. Treat both your daughter and her mother decently everyday and that'd be far better role modelling.

I spent a lot of time going out one on one with my dad as I grew up. If it had ever been referred to as a 'date', or was based around my 'purity'/sexual matters (current or future) I would never have left the house with him.

dutchy no! Christ on a bike that’s weird!!

Americans use the word "date" a little differently I guess - like play date isn't a romantic date...

You never heard a East Asian man refer to his mum his girlfriend then; or a woman refer to her son(s) as her boyfriends? It happens a lot. Especially if she’s widowed / divorced.

Is there a similar theme there of teaching the child how to treat a future partner, like the son dating his mother? Or is that part absent?

It’s interesting to see how two people can see the same situation but have completely different interpretation of it.

When dd has a mother daughter date with me - I really don’t think it’s stealth grooming for her to be a lesbian or when dh takes her for daddy daughter date she sees or feels it’s her playing future wife.

She just loves being complete Center of attention and being spoiled.

I think some posters are using the word literatly where I feel the word has been so watered down it really doesn’t mean anything sinister. It’s just ‘a date’ a specific time where you both have a great time.

@LifeBeginsAtGin I remember that thread well, it didn't go down well at all did it!

Thats why I clicked on this thread, it reminded me of that.

You don't know what's wrong with describing another culture's use of their native language as "tacky" because it differs from your own? You do surprise me.

@walking - it’s in part about teaching a man how they should treat a woman, yes. It’s also in part about teaching a man how to treat his elders. Most East Asian and South Asian men do similar things with their fathers too.

There are mommy son dates too. In fact in East Asia sons go all out on these dates - flowers, expensive meals, gifts. I think it’s nice

Is there a similar theme there of teaching the child how to treat a future partner, like the son dating his mother? Or is that part absent?

As long as the origin of daddy/mummy date didn’t come from the satanic bible I’m not fussed.

Puppy date is where you meet up with like minded puppy owners and you socialise your little fur baby ...

There are mommy son dates too. In fact in East Asia sons go all out on these dates - flowers, expensive meals, gifts. I think it’s nice

The notion of fathers spending time with their daughters in organized activities in the US does not have its roots in conservative Christian culture. And that purity business is certainly not part of mainstream conservative Christian culture in the US. It is associated with some elements of fundamentalist Christianity.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the United States that percolate from time to time on MN. Usually anything that might concern religion is at the top of the list.

It has its roots in conservative Christian culture, the idea that a father must show his daughter how a man ought to treat her, so when she stops guarding her 'purity' and marries, she chooses a husband who will slot into those fixed gender roles with her (paying for everything, getting her coat, pulling a chair out for her and so forth).

I was just sick on myself to whom do I send my laundry bill?

You might not have Danny but the OP did. Scratch a Brit and the old colonial attitudes comes shining through.

Oh well, heaven protect us from tacky Americanisms

I didn't mention 'tacky'. No need to be so defensive.

But daddy daughter dates is an American concept that has worked it's way over to the UK by people who use the words 'hun, bubs, little man' etc.

Oh well, heaven protect us from tacky Americanisms ! 🇬🇧

Why a dad spending time with their daughter has to have a label put on it is beyond me. Surely it's just parenting?

I've never heard of a daddy and son date.

What is a puppy date? Does the owner take out the puppy on a date? Surely just taking it for a walk would suffice?

Or is it taking your puppy to play with other puppies? i.e. taking them up the park?

Why does everything have to be so Americanised?