There's a group of people I went to Uni with whom I have dinner with about 3-4 times a month. It's a very casual affair, no fuss, no big deal.
Just yesterday, they set a date for the next meet up, and I declined with, "thanks, but I'm having dinner with my dad that night." The messages that ensued were all along the lines of it being unusual etc, with one even saying, "I grew out of that in secondary school!" 
My dad is fantastic. He worked very long hours and often had to travel as part of his job, but he made it a point to come to every single recital, award ceremony, and even to the parent-child ballet event (he was the only dad there since my mum didn't want to go)!
This is also the person who read every single one of my GCSE and then IB textbooks in case I had questions and it wasn't convenient for me to consult a teacher, so why wouldn't we be close?
Do people really "grow out" of something like this?
AIBU?
To think it's not unusual for an adult to want to have dinner with her dad?
GingerPears · 30/06/2017 12:15
I think that, as others have already said, they're a little jealous of the fact that you have such a close/good relationship with your Dad.
My Dad wasn't around so much whilst I was growing up (he was in the military), and when he was around there were other things to focus his attention on (one of my older brothers was a drug addict/had MH issues as a teenager - and there's a huge age gap between him and me, so I was pushed aside a lot). But now? My Dad is my ally. We don't eat together, though. We explore the countryside together. Find old churches, historic buildings, Roman ampitheatres. Without my Dad, I wouldn't have kept my love of history past the age of 14, it's as simple as that. And when my daughter (severe MH problems) is pushing every single button going? It's not my mother whose advice I want... it's my Dad's. He is kind without being patronising, and whilst a few of my friends are close to their father's - only mine has survived some of the worst situations imaginable, and kept his innermost sense of not only self, but also goodness. He's my ally, and my friend... but most of all? He's my Dad.
And I am so glad that I'm not the only one with a Dad who turned up to parents evenings, choir recitals (he and my Gran snuck into one which I hadn't told anyone about - to this day I have no clue how they knew it was happening/I was singing a solo - and stood patiently at the back, listening and watching, with such looks of delight on their faces that I will never forget their sneaky potential bribing of my school secretary...!), and who helped with homework because of their own love of education/the subject.
My own children's father has literally no interest in their achievements whatsoever, so... it's a stark difference.
for you and your Dad, OP.
My Dad is like my best friend. I see him a couple of times a week and we are always arranging dinners or drinks, either ourselves or with our significant others.
Nothing strange at all 
They sound jealous tbh. I think it's quite sad that they would find it unusual.
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