Although Father Knows Best, that TV and radio show from the ’50s, is long gone, it was on to something: Fathers are wise guys. Sure, they don’t know everything, but you can always count on two things: They have at least some experience with relationships, and no matter what, they just want what’s best for their children. So we asked dads to share their wisdom on love and dating, giving us their best nuggets of advice that they’ve shared with their kids.
“Always sleep without regrets.” — Tim, San Luis Obispo, CA
“I’m a lucky father of six children. It’s my favorite job. I hand out lots of advice, but here’s a lesson that always sticks in my head: When my eldest daughter was 13, she was riding in the backseat of the car and said, ‘Dad, RJ had this magazine in school today that said guys think about sex 1 out of every 3 minutes. Is that true?’ I took a second to collect my thoughts and told her, ‘Yeah, that’s pretty much how it is. So, I’m not saying you have to cut them any slack. It’s just that, if you have that bit of knowledge, you’ll be way better at maybe understanding your guy friends or at least being aware of the challenge and be able to act accordingly.'” — Kevin Gillespie, Ann Arbor, MI
“Be who you are in the relationship. Know your strengths and cater to the strengths of the one you are with. Be confident in who you are and never forget that you are someone special. Love like you want to be loved.” — Derrick Hayes, Columbus, OH
“Be a man with a plan. When you ask a woman out, have a plan of what you’d like to do together. I couldn’t count the number of women who complain about men who ask them out for coffee and then can’t even decide where to go for a cup of coffee. He wants her to decide. He thinks he’s nice and non-controlling, but to the woman, he’s showing he can’t make a decision.” — Elliott Katz, Toronto, Ontario
“My father is no longer with me, but his wonderful words of wisdom on love really helped me sort through the frogs to find my prince at the age of 35. Quite simple: ‘Never want anybody that doesn’t want you.’ I have never forgotten his words, and they helped me end some horrible relationships prematurely and safely.” — Crystal Brown-Tatum, Shreveport, LA
