Mom can’t teach you EVERYTHING about dating.
Believe it or not, your dad (or father figure) can be a golden goose of knowledge when it comes to understanding the male psyche. At best, your mom can tell you how your dad thinks/responds, but dad can offer a wealth of knowledge on different types of men.
Jackpot!
He won’t “bro code” his way around your questions because, I mean… you’re his princess. Honestly, there are some things that dad can answer with certainty that your mom can only make assumptions about. Why not utilize this resource and find out what’s really going through your counterpart’s brain? Here are 7 ways your dad can help you understand your partner better.
HE KNOWS WHAT MEN GENERALLY EXPECT FROM GIRLFRIENDS/WIVES.
This one is a no-brainer. While women may believe they know exactly what men expect, we can be way off-base sometimes. While we try to do the most complicated things to meet what we believe are the expectations of the men we love, simplicity may be the best answer. Dad can let us know if we’re taking it over the top or if we’re meeting the level of expectation properly. Is he going to know exactly what our guy is thinking? No, but he’s the most reliable source for insight in the situation (and he’ll be pretty spot on).
HE KNOWS A MAN’S PERCEPTION OF MARRIAGE.
Every woman wants to know the male perception of marriage. Why does it seem like the end of world for some men? What makes men feel prepared for marriage? What does a man expect after marriage? These are all things that daddy can decode for you. He may not know your guy’s exact sentiments, but he can give a better idea than anybody else about a man’s thought process around marriage.
HE KNOWS WHAT MAKES MEN FEEL WANTED/NEEDED.
Every man wants to feel wanted at the very least. While we may know how to hold his attention and keep it spicy, we may neglect to remember this detail. Dad can not only help us remember, but he can clue us into what gestures would make our guy feel wanted or needed (if necessary). We won’t always be empathetic to our partner’s needs, but having a dad to offer another perspective is good for both parties.
HE KNOWS THOUGHTFUL GIFTS FOR MEN.
I’ll take the lead on this and say I sometimes miss the mark with gifts. It’s not that I don’t know what my guy likes, I just need new ideas at this point. Dad’s have the uncanny ability to give you a simple idea that you can run with as a gift. Most guys don’t like a lot of “fuss” when it comes to gifts and dad can make it plain with a solid suggestion.
HE CAN DECIPHER A MAN’S PRIDE.
We’ll call dad the ego whisperer in this sense. This is most helpful in disagreements. I am stubborn and prideful myself. So, things can be left at a stalemate if I can’t understand where my guy is coming from. Dad’s have a perfect way of breaking down a man’s pride so that WE can understand it. I mean face it, when we’re in the middle of a disagreement, their logic/pride will never make sense. This could potentially cause some of us to drop the “pink slip” (break up with him) out of frustration. Dad will be able to explain the pride-driven motives/actions and give us another way to approach the issue.
HE KNOWS THE BEST WAY TO INITIATE THE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS.
Men hate to argue. (I literally haven’t found one man that does it comfortably.) Any issue you bring to him will automatically feel like an argument and there’s a high chance that he will retreat mentally and/or physically. The good news is that there is a better/easier way to approach these conversations and your dad knows that way. All you have to do is give him the scenario and he can help you navigate your approach in a way that is beneficial for the both of you.
HE KNOWS WHY YOUR GUY WON’T COMMIT.
This is huge! Your dad knows exactly why he didn’t commit to certain women in his past and he can explain this thought process to you. Your dad wasn’t married all his life, so he knows what guys think they will miss if they do commit. There may be personal reasons or emotional reasons as to why, but dad can give you a run-down of what is most likely going through your guy’s head.
Does dad know the specifics of your guy’s thought process? Of course not, but he’s a better source than any to shed light on it. He can give you better ways to approach conflict with him as well as an insider’s look in to the simplest matters like: what to buy for your partner’s birthday. Let dad be your tour guide on the bumpy back roads of the male psyche. It could really help!
