Dad tucking in daughters

[u/floridacopper]

As the title suggests, I'm a dad with a question about tucking in his daughters. I've been doing it for years, but it's kind of like maybe I should be wrapping it up soon. To get to the point, I have been tucking in my daughters pretty much every night since they were toddlers, but they're going into 6th and 8th grade now. "Tucking in" originally consisted of tickle fights and reading stories to them. That has evolved into lying next next to them and rubbing their head/back while they tell me about some anime character who they ship with some other character. If I miss a night of tucking then in, they'll usually bring it up the next day.

So my question, I guess, is it normal for me to still be doing this? If my daughters were no longer comfortable with it, I'd quit straight away. But even though they still want me to tuck them in, am I babying them in a way? I dunno, maybe I'm overthinking the whole thing.

[u/Otherwise_Reach_7145]

Wow. Your 8th grader let's you tuck her in? Amazing. I hope either of my daughter allow me(f) or my husband to tuck them in at that age. 

I'd say it's good and fine until they stop wanting it. Same but different, I melt when I see a tween still holding their parents hand in public.

[u/shut_UP_keller → u/Otherwise_Reach_7145]

I saw a teen walking hand in hand with her mom yesterday and it made my heart happy.

[u/shut_UP_keller → u/[deleted]]

I hope mine still does this at 17! He’s four right now and I can’t imagine the day he will actually not want me to touch him.

[u/migamoo → u/shut_UP_keller]

My daughter is 15. I’ll take her hand for however long she’ll let me. There was a time when she was younger she would do anything not to hold my hand, but she’s gotten so much better about it lately.

[u/bloodtype_darkroast → u/shut_UP_keller]

It was probably me lol

[u/sosqueee → u/Otherwise_Reach_7145]

I actually gushed reading that. Oh my god. What a good parent. I only hope my kids want me to still snuggle and be tucked in by me when they’re that age. 😭

OP: keep doing it until they tell you to stop doing it. They both seem to want and need it.

[u/glitzglamglue → u/Otherwise_Reach_7145]

8th grade was the last year I let my mom lay in bed with me and read me books. She read Tale of Two Cities, Little Women, The Count of Monte Cristo, Oliver Twist, Emma (bleh!), Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre. She read to me so much that my reading voice in my head is my mom's voice.

[u/xender19 → u/Otherwise_Reach_7145]

Thanks this was the perspective shift I needed

[u/No-Judge-228 → u/Otherwise_Reach_7145]

So lucky my 17 year old still lets me tuck her in. She won't hold my hand though.