Dads Dressing Daughters

I don't know what other Dads do but I like to dress my daughter.  I like to help her root through her things and suss out the day's look.  I like knowing what her favorites are.  I like knowing what she defaults to, what she thinks is uncomfortable, what her selections say about her mood that day...'cause make no mistake about it, what she wiggles into says heaps about her day.  I like to lay the foundation for a little kid who is interested in what she drapes across her back as she grows up, and so far, we've managed to create a pretty fashionable little funster.  She feels most comfortable in the kinds of clothes that we pick together, and she's more than happy to see what Daddy likes.  In that regard I often wonder if this is just a lesson in dressing herself or something of an effort to figure out this tricky and illusive male species thing.  I often catch her watching me, and she's very eager to please, and even more eager to partner up in any adventure.  Getting dressed isn't just a necessity, it's an exploration of sorts.



I might be alone in my enthusiasm for shopping with my daughter.  Despite her desperate need for half a dozen tutus she's a fun girl to hang out with, rooting through racks of fun.  She's an easy Saturday, that's for sure.  Wanna try on some shoes?  An enthusiastic yes follows.  Do you think we should buy this dress?  There's a grinning parenthesis around her nodding face.  Of course I do Daddy.  Of course you do Zoey.  Give me the chance to watch Michigan play yet another service academy on a Saturday or wander the sun dripped outdoor mall at Partridge Creek with my daughter and my daughter wins as handily as the Wolverines might.  Of course, sometimes there's Appalachian State.  I don't have a shopping reference for that.