Scary conversation with DH today. I read here so many that see their husbands giving daughers spousal status and treating her more like a wife than a child. So many with issues of creepy over-affection. I have always thought when I read them, "thank god DH isn't like that, we have enought problems with his inability to /fear of parenting".

So today we are talking about varsity letterman jackets and I said I thought it would be a nice gift idea for our kids (dd11, sd12, ds13) as they reach high school. Then I added that well probably it's more of a boy thing and that the girls might not be interested in wearing one, that they would probably sooner wear some boy's than want their own. He says, completely serious, that he should give his from high school to SD, she would probably wear HIS. I was like "really? I doubt it". He wants to know why. I ask if they are dating? He goes on to tell me that he is her dad and therefore she should be closer to him than some boy she is dating. I told him that was a very scary thought process and that maybe he shouldnt' speak it out loud again. After a few second of silence I asked "so are you saying that you are closer to SD than to me?" Then it became obvious to him that it was strange to think in that way. But come on, I am shocked that grown men seem to have this need to be 'everything' to their child.

I'm sure the topic will come up with us again. I am ready to point out the very real differences between a parent/child relationship and a romantic love/spouse relationship.

In any case, just when I thought I had something to be thankful for, the rug was pulled right out from under me.