As father’s watch their little girls turn into young ladies, one of their concerns revolves around the young men that may come into their daughter’s lives. Will she choose her suitors well? Will they treat her with respect? Will she know how to handle them, if they don’t?

These are valid concerns. Some fathers have implemented a strategy in their homes to help prepare their young daughters for that eventual step into the dating world. These fathers have begun taking their daughters out on dates themselves.

There are several good reasons why a father would want to be his daughters first date.

• Set the standard. A father has the opportunity to model the behavior his daughter should expect from a man who says he cares about her. This is more than simply spending time together. It is a time for Dad to woo his daughter’s heart, to establish an expectation for the man in her future.
• Bonding. These one-on-one times can establish a unique bond between a daughter and her dad. Times that are shared without Mom or the rest of her siblings will be cherished as special memories that are all her own.
• Establishing value. When a father takes time out of his schedule and commits it to his daughter, it shows her, in a very tangible way, how valuable she is to him. If he’ll turn off his cell phone, engage her in conversation and listen to what she has to say, her self-worth will grow in a very healthy way.
• Maintaining the relationship. If you haven’t noticed, we are not talking about a one-time event. This is not just about a father taking a daughter out on one date. It is about beginning, and then continuing, this dating relationship with her. By doing this, he maintains his connection with her. Dates will change as she changes, and it is important for a father to recognize that. A little girl may want to dress up for their dates. Your teen may want to wear her jeans and t-shirt. Remember to treat her as your date, not your daughter, and don’t tell her what to wear.

Fathers are a big influence in their daughter’s lives. That influence, of course, can be positive or negative. It will always be one or the other, never of no effect. A father’s relationship becomes the foundation for a daughter’s expectation of men. If her father adored her, she will expect and look for a man who will adore her as well. In the same vain, if her father ignored her or treated her badly, that is the highest expectation she will place on the men who enter her life.

If you want to be your daughter’s hero, you don’t have to accomplish any great feat. All you need to do is set aside some time to treat her like a princess, and she’ll always see you as her knight in shining armor.

Smoking is a bad habit. Despite the fact that the negative aspects of smoking are well documented, many people still choose to smoke on a regular basis. Those who choose to smoke take on day-to-day lifestyle changes that can change the way they interact with others and drastically affect their personal health and hygiene. Here are 10 reasons why it’s tough to love a smoker:

1. Secondhand Smoke: One of the biggest reasons it’s hard to love a smoker is secondhand smoke. Your health is at risk when smokers light up next to you and blow smoke around you. Second hand smoke has been shown to be even more unhealthy than first-hand smoke and this can have major health consequences for those who unwittingly breathe it in. If you know a smoker who continually smokes around you, urge them to do so outside and away from others who don’t want to smoke.
2. Smelly Clothes: Tobacco smoke has a distinct and lingering odor that is incredibly difficult to eliminate from clothing. Cologne, Febreeze, and other odor fighters just don’t seem to completely mask the sometimes overpowering smell of smoke. As a result, even if you haven’t smoked in hours, people around you will likely be able to identify you as a smoker. That constant odor can make snuggling up with a smoker more challenging than a non-smoker.
3. Bad Breath: No matter how often they brush their teeth or gargle mouthwash, smokers are left with bad breath. Kissing a smoker is really like kissing an ashtray. And it gets worse. A smoker’s teeth and gums suffer major consequences that can result in crooked, yellow teeth, receding gums, and other dental problems. The oral hygiene issues surrounding smokers can make loving them that much harder, especially if you are a stickler for bad breath.
4. Expensive Habit: Smoking is an expensive habit. Depending on how many cigarettes a smoker has per day and how long they’ve been smoking, it can add up to thousands of dollars out the door every year. That money could be put towards better, more productive things than smoking. If someone close to you is a smoker, see how much they smoke and calculate how much money they are setting no fire every time they light up. Maybe that will help them to quit.
5. Disappearing Act: Most smokers have mastered the art of the smoke break. That means they know how to disappear from any situation to get in a few quick puffs. This disappearing act can make working with smokers difficult, as they tend to disappear just when you need them. Chances are, however, that you can find them at their favorite smoking spot enjoying a few minutes of peace. Non-smokers don’t get that kind of freedom, and that can make loving a smoker even harder.
6. Grouchy: Ever been around a smoker who hasn’t had a cigarette in a while? If not, it might be a good idea to avoid them. That’s because a smoker who has gone without for a long period of time tends to be grouchy. Sometimes they can be downright mean. When a smoker abstains, the nicotine level in their blood drops, and they begin to crave nicotine while simultaneously experiencing withdrawal symptoms like headache and nausea. The best thing you can do is avoid a smoker when they are in desperate need of a cigarette.
7. Bad Attitude: Even when a smoker has had their fix, their dependence on cigarettes can sometimes bring about a negative attitude in general. From the worker who takes a smoke break when they might be on call to the young rebellious teenager who smokes to get back at overbearing parents, smokers can sometimes have a uniquely stubborn and pessimistic attitude. Of course, not all smokers are like this, but those that are can definitely be harder to love.
8. Refuses to Quit: A smoker does not give up their habit likely. That’s mainly because cigarettes are frighteningly addictive. If you try to encourage a smoker to quit, you’re likely to be disappointed. Cigarette smoking has one of the highest relapse rates of any habit and that means trying to get a smoker to quit is probably a fruitless attempt.
9. Poor Health: Smoking is not a healthy habit. Not only can it leave otherwise healthy individuals short of breath, but it can also cause long term health effects that can be far more devastating. Knowing this can cause frustration for non-smokers who only want the best for their smoker friends. Despite the well-known health effects, smokers can be stubborn about quitting, and that makes them harder to love.
10. Smelly Car: There is something unique about a smoker’s vehicle. It’s definitely the smell. Like a smoker’s clothes and an indoor smoker’s home, a smoker’s car takes on the distinct aroma of cigarette smoke. But the car has a special tool of torture for non-smokers: Air conditioning. In the summer when a smoker first starts their car in the evening, hot, smelly cigarette smoke air is blown right in your face. This can be very frustrating for a non-smoker.

Smiling.  Just thinking about the word makes you smile a little doesn’t it?  This simple act that we have been doing since we were babies may be the most important thing we ever do.  They say smiles are contagious.  When you walk by someone with a big smile on their face don’t you just smile in spite of yourself?  You don’t even know why they are smiling, but there’s that hope that it’s something really really good.  Check out 10 facts about smiling that you didn’t know.

1. Fake it ‘til you make it: It’s a proven psychological fact that if you force yourself to smile even if you don’t feel like it that you will eventually improve your mood.  Not to mention the mood of others that you are smiling at.
2. Smiling improves your health: When you smile you are more relaxed and that means you are feeling less stress and we all know that stress is hazardous to our health.  Staying relaxed will actually improve your immune system.
3. It takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown: Why not take the easy way out and smile instead?
4. Smiling is a way to communicate across language barriers: Smiling is universally understood the same way across all cultures and languages.
5. Smiling can help you get that next big job: It’s a proven fact that people who smile are perceived as being more outgoing and attractive.  Those people are more likely to get the job versus those who do not smile much.  No one wants to work with a sour puss.
6. Girls smile more than boys: This carries over into adulthood as well.  Women make more eye contact than men, but in similar work place environments research shows that it balances out and men and women smile about the same number of times a day.
7. You can smile 19 different ways: Every smile means something a little different.  There’s the smirk, the grin, the social nod when passing someone on the street and the ear-to-ear smile that reaches your eyes and uses nearly all of the muscles in your face.
8. Babies can distinguish between a smile and a frown: Babies actually prefer people who smile to people who don’t smile.
9. Babies have a special smile for loved ones: Babies actually have different smiles and save their special smiles for the ones they love the most.
10. Smiles are contagious: If you smile at people they tend to smile back.  If everyone were to smile the world would be a happier place.  Try it.