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 Linda Thomas
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father-daughter-dance.jpg
Father-daughter dances are a sweet tradition in many areas, though last fall a school in Rhode Island banned their annual dance. What are your experiences with daddy-daughter dances? (AP photo)

Awkward moments at local school's daddy-daughter dance

March 21, 2013 @ 6:33 pm (Updated: 10:34 am - 3/22/13 )

It's a sweet tradition in many area schools. Young ladies have a moment of bonding with that special man in their lives through daddy-daughter dances.

A Maple Valley father, who didn't want me to use his name, went to a Tahoma School District dance last weekend with his daughters who are in fifth, seventh and ninth grades.

The girls were dressed up, the dads cleaned up pretty well too. Everyone was having a great time dancing to pop tunes including the Bruno Mars song "Locked out of Heaven."

"Cause your sex takes me to paradise, Yeah your sex takes me to paradise And it shows, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause you make feel like, I've been locked out of heaven, for too long, for too long"

"I don't think the kids even pay attention to the lyrics, but when that song came on some of the dads just looked at each other," the KIRO listener says. "We tried to ignore it too."

There were a few other songs that seemed too sexual for a dad-daughter school dance, he says, including Lady Gaga's "Love Machine."

"I'm just a love machine, feeding my fantasy Give me a kiss or three and I'm fine I need a squeeze a day 'stead of this negligee What will the neighbors say this time?"

"At that point the other dads were laughing and started dancing with each other," he says.

He doesn't want to make a big deal out of the music selections because overall the Tahoma School District's dance was a positive experience.

Men in families and communities don't always get the recognition they deserve, this event strengthens bonds.

Last fall, the school system in Cranston, Rhode Island ended their traditional father-daughter and mother-son activities, saying they are a violation of the state's gender discrimination law.

In that case, the American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of a single mother who said her daughter was not able to attend a father-daughter dance.

We didn't have school-sponsored father-daughter dance when I was growing up, but some of my favorite memories are of doing the polka and schottische with my dad at family wedding dances.

I haven't thought about that in years. I clearly remember how fast we'd swing around the dance floor in Spillville, Iowa. He was my hero then, and still is today.

Dads, do something fun with your daughters this weekend. She'll remember decades from now and smile.

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (30)


  • Add A Comment

  • ron prevost wrote...
    In another story today, a parent / honor student event was cancelled because it might make the kesser achievers feel bad.
    March 21, 2013 7:08 pm
    Too bad Rhode Island, the ACLU and too many others think we need to be all inclusive or nothing at all. .... But, to placate the few, we deprive the many - or the achievers - or all who, Like Linda, stood to have their lives enriched. ... After all, it can't be fun if someone, somewhere MIGHT take offence.

    BTW - Yes, whoever picked out that music should at least be re-vetted by the school district. Could be an ignorant mistake, but.............

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  • Ontos wrote...
    Too bad you were a life-long kesser achiever
    March 22, 2013 7:56 am
    And you find enrichment only in Dori's latest rant.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    TYPO, Typo, typo
    March 22, 2013 8:16 am
    I must be a Lesser achieving keyboard typist.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Skykomish2 wrote...
    Political Correctness
    March 22, 2013 6:05 am
    OK, maybe at one time we were too far on the politically UNcorrect scale. But we've swung too far the other way. Its time to get back to a state of reality.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    "Men in families and communities don't always get the recognition they deserve, this event strengthens bonds. "
    March 22, 2013 8:06 am
    Ya think? Due to the feminist that feel every man is a child raper/wife beater/mom killer....and of course the only thing most men are good for according to the courts is child support....it's nice to see someone out there giving a little kudos. It would be nice someday to see woman allow men to be a art of the children's lives.
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  • Ontos wrote...
    Maybe this would be more palatable
    March 22, 2013 8:15 am
    If we simply hung a "closed for easter" sign on it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    I am so fed up with fake outrage on both sides.
    March 22, 2013 8:44 am
    When did we become a nation of weenies? I don't know if it's the internet or Dori Monson, but everything lately gives everybody the vapors. It's like nobody can function anymore without being outraged over the most trivial things.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hpygolkyone wrote...
    One Word.........
    March 22, 2013 8:48 am
    ......AMEN.
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  • Oly80 wrote...
    uh, g.m.c.f.h...
    March 22, 2013 9:16 am
    nailed it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ontos wrote...
    Dori
    March 22, 2013 9:47 am
    Makes a living off giving folks the heebie-jeebies about inconsequential stuff.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    Nobody is more "outraged"...
    March 22, 2013 10:42 am
    ...than the ACLU.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    Here's a great supporting example to my comment on R&D's blog about rape.
    March 22, 2013 9:48 am
    Don't for a second think that these lyrics are going in one ear and out another. The kids pick up on the lyrics better than adults, more often than not. And when those lyrics reinforce male sexual dominance over women and female pressure to "be sexy", it indoctrinates the kids into an established set of behaviors later on in life that primarily puts women at a disadvantage to men. It's good that those dads felt creeped out because if they really thought about how that activity and those songs impacted their daughters, they would be horrified.
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  • Oly80 wrote...
    spot on...
    March 22, 2013 11:04 am
    again, citizen!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ontos wrote...
    Maybe Dick in Bothell
    March 22, 2013 9:52 am
    will send a "DMail" in complaining about this too. Dori salivates.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • chubby wrote...
    I wonder . . .
    March 22, 2013 10:27 am
    how many times Anne Bremner drove drunk before she was finally caught. Ask her next time you have her on your show, Dori. Hypocrite! Oh wait, Dori says that people drive an average of 80 times before they are caught. And please, please, please start taking phone calls from listeners again. It is torture to listen to you banter with that pea brain producer, Jake. It's talk radio . . . the callers make the show!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hpygolkyone wrote...
    Hmmmmm?............
    March 22, 2013 1:08 pm
    It's amazing how threads on the Linda Thomas blog get hijacked into rants about Dori Monson?!

    It must be some kind of Jedi mind trick.

    I haven't listened (anymore) to *that* persons show for many years.

    I enjoy reading our hosts blog. She writes her own material (I'm guessing?), is all over the place on topics (refreshing).....and doesn't seem to be filled with hate.

    Back on topic: I would have given anything to get my little girl into a dress when she was that age (or this age now).

    She's still my little girl.....in a big girl body.

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  • Hawksbandit wrote...
    Know your audience
    March 24, 2013 3:39 pm
    It seems like too many ppl today fully accept whatever song comes out of the radio as good music (KUBE93) or appropriate. I think this DJ just assumed the song was popular it was cool to play. As a music buff myself I like the challege of playing good tunes for certain ppl.
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