It’s the day every father dreads, the day his little girl wants to start dating a boy.

When it comes to dating, most dads turn into bodyguards. Their definition of a “date” is eating dinner with the entire family, or sitting on the porch under the watchful eyes of Mom and Dad. Let’s be honest, though. This sort of interaction won’t actually teach your daughter to avoid temptation or have self-control.

Instead of being a bodyguard, I’d like to encourage you to be a coach instead. A bodyguard zealously tries to protect his daughter from any perceived harm. A coach trains and instructs her so she’s capable of making good decisions when the harm comes!

So, which one are you? Coach? Or bodyguard?

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