I don’t want to be one of those overprotective fathers who never lets his daughter go outside, or talk to boys, or be exposed to the rough and tumble corners of the world. I realize that a wide range of experience is important to proper development, and so I try to be liberal in my attitudes.
For example, I let her play Pirates with members of the opposite sex:
I support her desire to learn to drive:
I do not object when she embarrasses herself at funerals:
At times, I even let her stare down wild dogs.
And plush monkeys.
The other day, however, I walked over to my desk and happened upon mischief in process:
A closer inspection revealed that Alden had launched Netflix and was busily adding movies to the queue.
I was shocked and disheartened by her selection.
Surely, her fall from innocence has begun.
And who can I fault but myself and my liberal and cavalier attitudes toward parenting? I suppose it’s time for a change of approach. We’re in the process of building a tower on top of the barn (a silo, if you will), in which Alden will be imprisoned until her hair is long enough to provide means of egress for her patient suitor. But given the general properties of said hair, as recently detailed by Robbi (see entry below), I’m guessing her only suitors will be eagles and ospreys.
Which wouldn’t be so bad an outcome, from the protective dad perspective.
