Father Daughter Tea Party 2013

Fathers always seem to get the short end of the stick. Mother's Day is at the end of the school year, when teachers are using art projects to keep some semblance of order and interest going in those last few days. We get all the cute little handprint poems, the tissue paper flowers, the stinky bath salts. What do Dads get? Handed the barbecue tongs.

 

Even the sermons in church are different. Mothers are praised as shining examples who need to be appreciated and pampered (all true, of course). Father's Day, on the other hand? All we hear about is how shiftless fathers have become, how their absence has caused all the world's evils, and how they need to step up to the plate. (As I've said before; Pastors? If a Dad is there to hear the sermon, he's probably not the Dad you need to be telling this to.)

 

It is certainly true that many fathers aren't around - by choice or otherwise. Some people steer away from celebrating Father's Day at all for that reason. To me, though, that's all the more reason we should celebrate the fathers who are there, doing a great job - and the men who have stepped in for the fathers who can't be there.

 

So, (stepping off my soapbox), we started holding Father Daughter Tea Parties each summer, on the Saturday before Father's Day. I'm thinking of making it a Father/Son/Daughter event next year, but there's just something so sweet about these little girls in their prettiest dresses, proudly escorted by their big tall Daddies!

 

 

Decor is very important for this one - no plain old styrofoam cups for us!

 

 

The glasses and heart wreaths (day-after-Valentine's-clearance sale) were theirs to take home. Tre chic!

 

Lots of fancy tea cakes and frosted cookies, punch with sherbet and individual cups of ice cream - and, in case Mom asked later, veggies and fruit, too.

 

I started off reading two books - one sweet, one silly - to the group, then there were books about Daddies at each table, if they wanted to read more together. There were also four activities to choose from:

 

Sticker scenes and paper to write a corresponding story (with the daughter in the starring role, of course)

 

 

The object is to fit every single sticker into your scene!

 

Picture frames to decorate:

 

The more sequins, the better!

 

 

A collage card:

 

 

And tie for Dad:

 

A quick poll showed many fathers in the room did not own a single tie. Of course, we had to rectify that:

 

 

Everybody loves sequins, it doesn't matter your age.

I have to admit, this is my favorite part - watching the young ladies direct their fathers in the proper methods of coloring and sequin placement.

 

The blue one goes right HERE, Daddy!

 

And, of course, we had to take some Father-Daughter portraits.

So sweet!

Floor-length - very elegant!

Yeah for Grandpas, too!

Three lovely ladies - and I love the smiles!

 

Turning into quite the young lady!

 

A. Dorable.



Okay, I'm biased, but you can't end with anything sweeter than this.

Happy Father's Day to everyone who fills that role!