teendress_600
My son is 15 and a sophomore in high school. His school's semi-formal dance is in a couple weeks, but my husband and I knew he was going to this event at the end of December. The girl he's going with is just a friend and honestly, while I've heard her name, I don't think I could pick her out in a crowd.
My daughter is 14 and a freshman in high school. She was invited to a semi at another high school. The boy who asked her is just a friend and three of her good friends are also going to the dance. Again, while I've heard this boy's name and have been in his company once or twice, I doubt I could pick him out in a crowd.
The debate...my husband, who hasn't had two words to say about our son going to his dance had plenty to say when our daughter was asked to a similar event.
"I'm not sure about this," he said. "I don't know this boy, have never met him, don't know when the dance is, or where it is."
After my daughter and I filled him in on the details he asked for, he still wasn't convinced. My daughter left the room and I was left to discuss the situation with my husband. I explained to him that we would be driving our daughter to her friend's date's house along with said friend's parents where our daughter's "date" would meet us. Introductions would be made, pictures would be taken, and the boy's parents would drive them to the dance then pick them up and bring them back to the house directly afterward. I figured once the kids left for the dance, we'd go for dinner with the other couple then pick up our daughter at that same house by midnight.
He still wasn't convinced and asked the above-mentioned questions again. I wasn't about to answer again and instead asked a few questions of my own.
"Who is your son going to his dance with?" I asked. He didn't know.
"Have you ever met her?" I asked. He admitted he never had.
"When is his dance?" I asked. He didn't know.
"Where is his dance?" I asked. Again, he didn't know.
With those questions, I thought I'd made my point, but apparently I hadn't because he still wasn't convinced our daughter should be able to attend the event. After a lot of debating and a lot of explaining, he finally gave her permission to go...very grudgingly, I might add. In fact, the dance is this weekend and I'm still not sure he's convinced she should be allowed to go.
This little event made me open my eyes to the fact that the double standard is alive and well and living in my house. And while it's a bit amusing to me, it also makes me a little nervous. After all, our daughter is only 14...how many more times in the coming years will this debate happen? I get tired just thinking about it.
What are your thoughts on this?
