Pink. Tutus. Sparkles. Three words that describe my 3 year old daughter to a T, but are completely foreign to me. I’ll be honest, I was completely shocked and afraid when I learned that we would be raising a girl. But I also quickly realized that raising a pink princess would be one of my favorite things.
I learned that tea time takes place at least three times a day. I also learned that an invitation must be extended to her favorite guests, beloved stuffed animals, BunBun and Unicorn. Tea time starts when all guests are seated. All guests must wear a crown. All guests must say please and thank you.
The bows must match the outfit. Who knew that a little pint-sized princess could have so many bows and tutus? My wife once raised her eyebrows when our daughter came downstairs with unbrushed hair and mismatched outfit.
While my wife ensures that she has the proper table manners and is dressed appropriately, my daughter also attends, what we call, School of Dad. While my wife runs or works, our daughter throws on some boots and learns all about tools in the garage while listening to some Bluegrass. She learns the basics of bike maintenance. She loves to use the bike pump to inflate the tires.
This same pink princess will put on her game face and pedal up and down the driveway yelling proudly, “Look at me, Daddy! I am so fast!” This same “little petite mademoiselle,” as my wife loves to call her, requests Daddy’s music, Motley Crue and Black Sabbath. This matter-of-fact toddler will happily pick out the live shrimp and hand it to me to prepare the line when we go surf-fishing in Florida. I still can’t believe that she didn’t flinch when we accidentally hooked a sand shark.
I always thought being a fast bike rider was one of my major goals in life, but now raising a confident young lady is one of my priorities in life.
Our pink, tutu-wearing daughter has become one of my best students. But she is also a mini-version of myself, so the teenage years are sure to be fun! It isn’t the easiest job in the world, but raising our pink princess in the School of Dad has to be one of the most rewarding roles!
A special thank you to Louisville dad, Ben Myers. When he isn’t working, he loves to be outdoors, preferably on two wheels.
