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I forced my Gen Alpha kid to watch 22 episodes of 'Boy Meets World.' Then she asked for more.

This one still delivers.

Canva Photos & Disney Plus

Young girl watching TV,; Cory and Shawn from Boy Meets World

TGIF can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. A celebration of the fact that the weekend is just around the corner, a pretty solid casual restaurant or happy hour spot from the early 2000s, etc. But to elder millennials, TGIF refers to only one thing: an epic evening of television featuring iconic sitcoms like Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, and of course, Boy Meets World. Can you believe those bangers used to all be on back to back to back?! We truly didn't realize how lucky we were in the 90s.

Boy Meets World, in particular, was an incredibly important show for me. As a curly haired, middle-class kid, it was easy for me to see myself in Cory Matthews, the flawed protagonist of the series. Cory was always worried about fitting in and being popular. He was jealous that his cool older brother and best friend had great hair and knew how to talk to girls. He was constantly screwing up and finding ways to make things right. It's what television was meant to be, and it taught me lessons that I took into my own friendships, my first relationship, and more.

As I get closer to my late-late-late 30s, I decided that I wanted to see if Boy Meets World still had the same magic I remember from when I was young. The twist is that now I have a daughter about Cory Matthews' age, a Gen Alpha kid, and I wanted to see how she'd respond to the characters and storylines that resonated with me so deeply way back when. For reference, a LOT of books, movies, and shows of my youth have completely failed to connect with her and her more modern sensibilities.

So, I sat her down and more or less forced her to watch the first season, or 22 episodes, with me. To my surprise, she wanted to keep going.

boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennialsIm Right Here Look At Me GIFGiphy

Upon rewatch, it's not hard to see why. If you look past the baggy clothes and landline telephones, the lessons (and laughs) underneath are timeless. I was not expecting the show to connect with a representative from Gen Alpha, who are decidedly different from millennials when we were that age, in many many ways. But I think it works not because it reminds her of other things she likes, but specifically because it doesn't.

Here are five things Boy Meets World brings to the table that my 10-year-old is not used to seeing in her media:

1. Lessons (so many lessons)

boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennialsThis line from "Cult Fiction" is better than anything on YouTube or TikTokGiphy

By the end of every episode of the show, Cory has had to learn a very tough lesson. He has to learn how to be more honest, how to be a better friend, or even when it's good to break the rules.

And that's just the regular episodes, to say nothing of the Very Special Episodes. After much consideration, I say: Bring back Very Special Episodes!

Are they cheesy? Absolutely. Are they a little simplistic and surface level? Sure. But they do something not a lot of kids media does anymore which is challenge young people with complex ideas. They are great discussion starters, especially as a parent watching alongside.

In one episode, Cory and Topanga fall asleep at the school while staying late to finish a project. The next day, everyone at school thinks Cory is "the man" for, presumably, hooking up with her. The show leaves certain things unsaid, or to the imagination, but it gave us a peek into sexism and reputation that my daughter hasn't been exposed to in the usual shows she watches.

And then, of course, there's the famous episode "Cult Fiction" where Shawn joins a cult called The Center. "Daddy, what's a cult?" is not a question I expected to field from my 10-year-old, but here we are! It was challenging, in a good way, to try to explain what they are and why they're harmful, which the show itself only vaguely touches on. These episodes were successful at piquing her curiosity and forcing her to ask questions, which is exactly the point.

A lot of the media my daughter watches just lacks this substance, even if it is simplistic at times in Boy Meets World. Shows she's enjoyed like Henry Danger or Sam and Cat come across as more purely silly—and both receive dismal scores from Common Sense Media for categories like "Positive Messages" and "Educational Value."

2. An honest-to-God plot

boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennialsA simple plot is still better than no plot at all.Giphy

Boy Meets World isn't known for convoluted plot twists or reinventing the narrative structure. But at least it's got a story to offer.

Gen Alpha doesn't spend a lot of time engaging with plot-based media. My daughter and her friends love to read, and to watch the films and TV shows based on their favorite books, but as a whole, younger people are getting a lot of their entertainment from YouTube and TikTok. They spend a lot of time watching Get Ready With Me videos, Try Not To Laughs, Mr. Beast stunts, or people playing video games on livestreams.

Maybe it makes me sound old, but I'll say it anyway: Story still matters! Plot is good for your brain because it forces you to put yourself in the shoes of different characters. You have to imagine what one character might be thinking in a scene that leads them to do whatever it is they do next. Characters don't always say exactly what they mean (subtext) so your brain has to fill in the gaps and try to decipher when they're lying or withholding information or their true emotions.

Not all screen time is created equal. Watching a story is an active process. It's important for our brains, and helps build empathy and social intelligence. It elicits emotion. That's definitely something that's missing from a lot of the Gen Alpha media diet.

It also keeps kids like my daughter coming back because she wants to know what's going to happen next, not because the algorithm's got her hooked with easy bursts of dopamine.

3. Extremely outdated references, fashion, and technology

boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennialsKids today don't understand how much of an icon Shawn Hunter was.Giphy

The clothes and the landlines in the show are a serious walk down memory lane, but Boy Meets World feels old in more ways than that. (Seriously, at one point the Matthews family receives a telegram, which was a stretch even for the 90s.)

Boy Meets World, at this point, almost represents a completely different way of life. Shawn carries around a "black book" of all the girls he's dated with their phone numbers written down. The celebrity cameos are completely lost on my daughter, and often on me (I mean, the Love Boat guys, really?). But it's fun to get to explain these aspects of my own childhood to her, and she gets a kick out of it, too. The strange elements are challenging, in a good way.

As a side note: The baggy jeans are the one thing that don't look out of place anymore on the show. They're so back, baby!

4. Brave choices

boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennialsRemember Cory and Topanga getting hitched and living in the 'married dorm'?Giphy

BMW was not afraid to pull at the heart strings, and while the plot was usually pretty formulaic, the writers were capable of shocking you.

For example, one of the main teachers, Mr. Turner, nearly dies out of nowhere! Shawn's dad abandons him to go chase after the love of his life. And a fresh-out-of-high-school Eric finds himself dating a young, single mom. Of course, one of the most memorable and shocking moments in the show is when Cory cheats on Topanga with another girl on a school trip. Can you imagine that happening in a so-called kids' show today? It's character suicide by today's standards. But they did it anyway and somehow pulled it off. That episode is heavily debated among fans to this day.

The show also played into sitcom tropes and cookie-cutter themes and lessons, but it also wasn't afraid to wade into grey areas sometimes. One of my favorite early episodes of the show to rewatch is an episode where Cory's dad lets him stay up late to watch a big baseball game with him, and a very sleepy Cory flunks a test at school the next day. Cory's dad and teacher, Mr. Feeny, then trade jabs over whether it was right or wrong. There's no clear winner, no exact right answer, just a lot to think about. I like my daughter being exposed to the idea that there's not always a clear cut solution, and I get the sense she's enjoyed that about the show, too.

Boy Meets World, contrary to its squeaky clean reputation, also has a few episodes that Disney has subsequently banned for being too racy or controversial, including Shawn shoving his girlfriend after having too much to drink. I'd like to see any modern family-friendly show have the guts to go there and turn it into a teachable moment.

5. Good adults—mostly

boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennialsAlan Matthews belongs in the TV Dad Hall of FameGiphy

Alan, Amy, Mr. Feeny, and Mr. Turner were anything but caricatures. What strikes me most rewatching as an adult is how much I relate to and still admire the core adults in the show.

Even in a lot of modern adult sitcoms, the adults are all idiots. In kids shows, it's worse, with the buffoon dad merely there for comic relief and the mom too busy and frazzled to have any idea what's going on.

Crucially, during our rewatch of BMW, I realize that every single one of the main adults screws up at some point and has to apologize for it. They do their best, they're mostly wise and responsible, but they make mistakes, too. It's so important for kids to see that, and for my daughter to know that my wife and I are the same way.

Not everything in Boy Meets World has aged well. Even I can admit that the show has its warts.

Cory's behavior isn't always great. He can be very jealous and controlling of Topanga, and there's also this running thread in the show that they are "soulmates" and "absolutely have to be together" under any circumstances. That's an idea we would likely consider harmful or toxic today. Topanga even gives up a chance to go to Yale so that she can go to the state school with Cory, which is probably not the decision I'd like my own kids to make. The boys on the show can also be a little girl crazy, to the point that it borders on misogyny or just plain gross-ness. It also leans so heavily on nerd/jock stereotypes that it ends up perpetuating them.

But the core elements of the show: the lessons, the way it never talks down to the kids watching it, the beautiful portrayals of friendship and first love. Those are absolutely timeless.

There just aren't many shows left that even attempt to do what Boy Meets World did and the way it grew up with its audience. The closest modern equivalent I've seen would have to be Bluey. Maybe that's why the show is so beloved, because it understands what made the TGIF formula work so well and has perfectly adapted it to the modern age. It hits all five of the points above, with admirable adult characters, complex lessons, and even flashbacks to the 80s!

A skeptic might say that my daughter doesn't really care about the show, she just likes getting to stay up late and spend time together. But, now that we're deep into Season Five and showing no signs of slowing down, I can safely say that the magic is still there.

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'I'd rather you drink here': Now we know if letting teens drink at home is the safest strategy

Does the "cool" mom and dad approach make kids safer?

via Canva/Photos

Some teenage boys holding beers.

When it comes to teens and alcohol, parents usually come down to two different camps: they either forbid their children from drinking alcohol in all circumstances until they are an adult, or 21, or they allow them to drink at home because it’s safer than if they do it elsewhere. One set of parents believes that alcohol exposure will cause problems, the other thinks that if they remove the taboos surrounding alcohol, it’ll make them less likely to abuse it.

Should parents allow their teen children to drink in the home?

So, what’s the right thing for parents to do? A new study out of the University of Buffalo found that when parents allow their kids to drink alcohol, they run a greater risk of them having a drinking problem in the future. Sorry, “cool” mom or dad, allowing your place to be the party house has its consequences.

teens, alcohol, teens and beer, underage drinking, alcoholism study, alcohol use disorderTeenage boys holding blue drinks.via Canva/Photos


The study conducted by Bernard Pereda, a Doctoral Student in Psychology at the University at Buffalo, and his team examined questionnaires filled out between 2008 and 2019 by 387 adolescents starting at age 11 and their parents. The questionnaires asked the adolescents if they ever drank alcohol with their parents’ permission, even just a few sips, and if they answered yes, at what age. The researchers then analyzed the participants' drinking habits at 18 to 20.

"A robust relationship was found between parental permission to use alcohol during adolescence and increased alcohol use frequency and quantity, alcohol use disorder symptoms, and alcohol-related harms in young adulthood," the study says. It added that the age they had their first sip "was not associated with later alcohol use outcomes, suggesting a uniform risk effect of parental permission to drink."

teen girl drinking, orange juice, screwdriver, bar, alcoholismA young woman having a drink. via Canva/Photos

To put it simply, kids who were allowed to drink alcohol at home, no matter what age they started, were more likely to become alcoholics than those who did not. “We found that adolescents were more likely in young adulthood to drink more often and in greater amounts in families that allowed this practice compared with those that did not,” Pereda told The Conversation. “The risk of experiencing symptoms of alcohol use disorder and negative consequences from drinking in young adulthood was also higher. Importantly, the age at which drinking with parents’ permission began did not change this effect.”

How to talk to teens about alcohol

young people, college kids, red cups, party, co-ed party, college, beerSome young people having a party.via Canva/Photos

"But on balance, what the data tell us is that [letting kids drink at home] is not necessarily the right choice. And what it can do is it can normalize the idea of underage drinking, which is not something we want to do," Lisa Damour, author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, told CBS News. “It's not the harm reduction approach we thought it is," she said.

When setting boundaries about alcohol with teens, it’s essential to be upfront with them without turning it into a lecture. “Have an honest, nonjudgmental, fact-based conversation with your child about alcohol,” Robert Leeman, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Sciences in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University, said according to Psychology Today. “And put away the wagging finger—the nonjudgmental part is really important. Once you start to get judgmental, people just move into defensive mode and shut down.”

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Parenting

11 parents share the 'lightbulb' moment where they finally stopped helicoptering over their kids

The stories prove kids are capable of so much more than we think.

Canva Photos

One mom started a heartwarming discussion when she shared how her son ordered at a restaurant for the first time.

This summer in my house, we've made a big change. For the first time ever, we're letting our oldest daughter walk to the pool by herself. It's about three-quarters of a mile, or a 10-15 minute walk. It feels like a big deal to us. The walk is along a very busy road that she has to cross at the very end. She was nervous the first time she tried it, and so were we.

But...she's 10 years old. It's time. For reference, I was walking all over the place by myself at the same age, or playing outside for hours with my parents only having a very vague sense of where I was. This is a natural part of growing up that, it seems, more and more kids are being deprived of. Not through malicious intent on the part of parents, but just because we're scared.

It seems that everywhere I go, one parent or another is telling me I need to read The Anxious Generation. We're all worried about the Gen Alpha kids, apparently. And though I've yet to read it myself, one of the key takeaways I keep seeing is that "as parents, we’re too overprotective in the real world and not overprotective enough online," as summed up by The Everymom. In other words, we smother them and shelter them from any possible harm like kidnapping, getting hit by a car, being bullied or even made to feel uncomfortable—and in doing so, we stifle their growth, their confidence, and their ability to become successful adults.

One mom recently took to social media to share a big independence win. She called it a "lightbulb moment" when she realized she'd been helicopter parenting her son and finally decided to take a big step back.

Soon, dozens of other parents chimed in on the Reddit thread with similar stories. They're so heartwarming and empowering, reminding us that the kids are capable of so much more than we think. They just need the chance to shine.

1. "Let my son order his own meal at a restaurant for the first time."

parenting, kids, moms, dads, the anxious generation, anxiety, millennial parents, boomer parents, motherhood, fatherhood"Let my son order his own food at a restaurant for the first time."Canva Photos

The OP kicked off the powerful thread with a simple story from dinner.

"So yesterday we went to our usual diner for breakfast, and instead of automatically ordering for him like I always do, I told my son (7) that he was going to tell the waitress what he wanted all by himself. The look of panic on his face was immediate."

As hard as it was to hold back, Mom didn't help. She just smiled and encouraged her son to handle the interaction himself.

"He stumbled a bit at first, speaking so quietly she had to lean in, but then he found his voice. He ordered his pancakes, asked for extra syrup, and even remembered to say please. The waitress was so sweet about it too, giving him her full attention and treating him like a real customer. After she walked away, he had this huge grin and said 'Mom, did you see that? I did it all by myself' He sat up straighter in the booth and you could just see the confidence radiating from him.

"It was such a small thing, but watching him realize he could handle it on his own was incredible. I've been ordering for him out of habit and probably some misguided attempt to make things 'easier,' but I was actually robbing him of these little moments to grow."

2. "Sent my 4-year-old to the register with my credit card."

Handing over cash to a child is always risky. There's no guarantee you'll ever get it back. But the whole credit card?! That takes some serious bravery as a parent. But this is how kids learn.

"My proudest moment recently was when I sent my 4yo to the counter at McDonalds with my credit card and told him to buy himself a bottle of water. He came back with the water, my card, a receipt, and a huge proud smile on his face," another user added.

3. "Let my 6-year-old make his own noodles."

A child handling a heavy pot of boiling water. What could possibly go wrong!? Turns out, that's the wrong question. What could go right? That's a better one.

"I taught my six year old how to make noodles today. The only thing I did was lift the heavy pot twice. He was over the moon about making his own dinner. Then, of course my four year old decided he wanted to do it too, but that still didn't ruin the moment for the older one. Going to start doing this more," one user said.

4. "Encouraged my son to speak for himself at the doctor's office."

Once you start thinking about it, it's really amazing how often parents end up speaking on behalf of their kids who are perfectly capable of using their own voice. Again, it's not malicious, it's from a place of protectiveness. Maybe they don't need us to speak for them after all.

"We took our son (7) to an after hours clinic yesterday because we were worried about some ongoing stomach pain and wanted to rule out appendicitis. I had gone over with him what would likely happen in the appointment. The doctor came in and addressed my son asking what was going on and getting his story before addressing us parents. He did a very good job explaining how he had been feeling and when. He answered her questions as best he could," a user shared.

"But hearing him explain to her what was going on was a similar experience for me as what you had described. It was great to see him practice telling someone who is not his parent what is going on."

5. "Sent my 18-year-old to the bank to open his own account."

Even teens and young adults need lessons in independence. A parent's job is never truly done.

"My 18 year old went to the bank this weekend and opened an account all by himself. When I saw him afterwards he had the 18 year old version of your son’s expression. Confidence, pride, belief in self. It’s a big deal letting them do the things in their own. "

6. "Let my kid work the self-checkout all by himself."

parenting, kids, moms, dads, the anxious generation, anxiety, millennial parents, boomer parents, motherhood, fatherhood"I let my kid do the self-checkout from start to finish."Canva Photos

The grocery store is chock-full of lessons and opportunities for kids to practice independence.

"I have mine ring up the groceries at the self check out from start to finish. Or if he wants to buy something at a store: I give him my card and then stand back and let him check out (taught him to greet the cashier, say bye etc). Also at the library, if he’s looking for a book, damaged a book (it happened once), or needs help, I have him speak to the librarian and work it out," one parent shared.

7. "Asked my 8-year-old to return the cart across the parking lot."

You've got to start somewhere, even if these little independent moments seem small. They can really build on themselves if keep it up.

"My son just turned 8 and my in laws are taking him on a big camping trip for a week by themselves without us there. It's kind of been a crash course in independence getting him ready ... The last couple of weeks he's been showering by himself and today I let him park the cart across the parking lot in the little slots while I buckled his sister in the car. It's amazing what kids can do when you give them the opportunity!" a parent said.

8. "Helped the kids learn to call in the pizza order."

Calling in a pizza order seems small, too, but don't forget that a lot of younger people—heck, people in general—get extremely anxious about speaking on the phone. This is excellent practice for them.

"My kids [used] to get so angry when I would ask what's for dinner and one would suggest pizza, I would say great, who is calling it in. This started from age 12 with the oldest. We would write out the order so they just had to read and I would be right there if there was an issue," this parent added.

9. "Let my 6-year-old call the shots at the drive-thru"

Ordering their own food seems to be a popular and effective place to start, even for very young kids.

"I let my 6 year old daughter order her Happy Meals in the drive-thru. She gets to roll down her back window and give the order and she makes sure to say please and thank you. A few times I’ve had to step-in and confirm everything because her voice is still soft. And sometimes she gets stage fright and doesn’t want to talk at all and I take over. But no matter what she LOVES when I pull forward enough for the attendant to hand her the Happy Meal box," a parent shared.

10. "Taught my kids to check themselves in to the doctor."

parenting, kids, moms, dads, the anxious generation, anxiety, millennial parents, boomer parents, motherhood, fatherhood"I taught my kids how to check themselves in at the doctor."Canva Photos

Teaching your child independence isn't just about confidence. It could quite literally be a life-saving skill one day.

"I started having my children at 11 'check themselves in' to doctors appointments," one parent said. "I would always do the pre-check, but let them give their name. At 13 I stopped doing the pre-check. ... I started giving them their insurance cards that come in the mail at 12.5.

"My kiddos know their insurance information, know their primary care doctors name, and know how to handle checking in. I did this specifically just in case they ever had an emergency and didn't have the information and I wasn't with them. They know their address, 5 main phone numbers, primary care doctor, and both insurances. We are now working on social security numbers."

11. "I let my 4-year-old have the CostCo experience"

If you want to throw your kiddo in the deep end, just take them to the jungle that is CostCo on a Sunday morning.

"I've ... been trying to back off and let my 4yo son be more independent," another parent shared. "I have such high anxiety that I'm just trying to get from one thing to another quickly, but like you said robbing him of those moments to practice independence.

"Today we went to Costco to get batteries and he scanned the membership card, carried the batteries to the self checkout, scanned it, used my credit card to pay, and showed the employee at the exit our receipt. The employees were so nice and patient with him too (luckily it wasn't very busy) and all told him what a good job he did! He has been talking about how he went shopping all by himself for 4 hours now nonstop."

Fostering independence in our kids is not just good for their long-term outcomes and confidence, it's crucial for their mental health.

They need to feel that they have agency and some level of control in our crazy world. And though letting go of the reins can feel scary for parents who are constantly bombarded with worst-case-scenario news, there are lots of little ways to make progress: let them order at a restaurant, make a phone call, or check out at a store. When you start to stack bigger and bigger wins over time, you'll be amazed what they can do.

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Parenting

Single mom teaches 13-year-old son how to date with monthly "practice dates" on a $50 budget

"The idea is you are prepping them for how to take a girl out on a date in the future."

Melissaannmariee/YouTube

Melissa Ann Marie and her 13-year-old son go on "practice dates" each month.

Let's be honest: dating is not easy at any age. For most pre-teens and teens, though, this tender age marks the start of romantic ventures. One mom is making sure her son has a few dating lessons under his belt before going on a real one.

TikToker Melissa Ann Marie (@melissaannmarie), a single mom in California, shared how she is preparing her 13-year-old son to date and be a stand-up partner in the future. She has started a tradition of going on a "practice date" with him once a month, where he does all the planning with a $50 budget (an allowance given to him by her).

"Come with me on a date with my boy 🥹 I heard about this idea from another teen/pre-teen boy mama and we've done this a handful of times now. We always have the best time with it!" she captioned the video.

@melissaannmariee

Come with me on a date with my boy 🥹 I heard about this idea from another teen/pre-teen boy mama and weve done this a handful of times now. We always have the best time with it! Basically you give them an allowance ($50) and they take you out on a date. The idea is you are prepping them for how to take a girl out on a date in the future so they aren’t completely lost when the time comes. So you help them along the way with how to plan and execute a date and you teach them basic etiquette and manners. And while you are teaching them, you get quality time with them which is the best part. What did he learn today?! -to open the doors for his date -not to walk ahead of his date -pay attention to their preferences with things (places they would want to go too) -pull their chair at a dinner table -learned how to give a waiter a non-verbal cue & signal for the check -learned how to make a reservation online -learned how to pay for everything all on his own - to get creative and thoughtful with a date & not a lot of money to spend 👏🏼 He planned a really sweet one this time and I really i enjoyed teaching him these things along the way and getting some one on one time together. I can’t wait to do this again and see what he comes up with. Trying to teach my boy all of these things so he can be the best partner for someone someday 🤍 #boymom #boymomlife #parentsofteens #motherhood #sandiego #fyp #parentingtips #gentleman

In the video, she took viewers on her date with him. He planned a morning date to a cat cafe. The two spent time playing with the cats and sipping on yummy coffee drinks before heading to a coastal walking trail to take in some scenic ocean views. They also stopped for tacos (which set them slightly over the $50 budget), but she notes she had him practice paying with her credit card.

"The idea is you are prepping them for how to take a girl out on a date in the future so they aren’t completely lost when the time comes," she wrote in the caption. "So you help them along the way with how to plan and execute a date and you teach them basic etiquette and manners."

She added that the best part about investing time in teaching him to date is the quality time they spend together.

@melissaannmariee

GRWM for a date with my boy 🥹 I heard about this idea from another teen/pre-teen boy mama and weve done this a handful of times now. We always have the best time with it! Basically you give them an allowance ($50) and they take you out on a date. The idea is you are prepping them for how to take a girl out on a date in the future so they aren’t completely lost when the time comes. So you help them along the way with how to plan and execute a date and you teach them basic etiquette and manners. And while you are teaching them, you get quality time with them which is the best part. What did he learn last night?! -to open the doors for me -not to walk ahead of your date -pay attention to their preferences with things (ex. ask where they want to sit in the movies— not just where YOU want) -pulled my chair for me -learned to give a waiter a non-verbal cue & signal for the check -learned how to pay for everything all on his own - to get creative and thoughtful with not a lot to spend 👏🏼 He planned a really fun one and i enjoyed teaching him these things and getting some one on one time together. I can’t wait to do this again! Trying to teach my boy all of these things so he can be the best partner for someone someday 🤍 #boymom #boymomlife #parentsofteens #motherhood #sandiego #fyp #parentingtips #gentleman

While dating culture may be different today, Melissa Ann Marie notes that she is instilling traditional values when it comes to teaching her son to date. "Trying to teach my boy all of these things so he can be the best partner for someone someday 🤍. What did he learn today?!" she shared, before offering a bullet list of lessons. These included:

  • To open the doors for his date
  • Not to walk ahead of his date
  • To pay attention to their preferences with things (places they would want to go, too)
  • Pull their chair at a dinner table-learned how to give a waiter a non-verbal cue & signal for the check
  • Learned how to make a reservation online
  • Learned how to pay for everything all on his own
  • To get creative and thoughtful with a date & not a lot of money to spend 👏🏼
@melissaannmariee

breaking cycles I never signed up for 💔 #singlemom #soloparent #momandson #motherhood #motherhoodunplugged

Her followers are loving her example of how to teach her son about dating.

"I did Mom/son dates. My son is 23 now and his fiancé says he’s the sweetest guy she’s ever met," one wrote, and Melissa Ann Marie replied, "YES MAMA 👏🏼 we are raising men who will be husbands one day!"

Another added, "You’re going to be such an amazing mother in law, setting him up for success like that! 👏," and she responded, "Yes!! That’s the goal! 🥺"

And another touched viewer wrote, "This is SUCH a good and thoughtful idea. It warms my heart knowing there are parents out there that are doing everything they can to raise gentleman ❤️."

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