Mom goes on a 'practice date' with teen son every month to teach him a life lesson — and he aces it
A single mom is actively contributing to creating a better world by teaching her 13-year-old son essential life skills and values. Melissa Ann Marie, who goes by @melissaannmariee on TikTok, has turned heads with her “practice dates” with her teenager once a month. In a viral video, Marie explained how she came up with the idea and the life lessons her son learned during the dating sessions. The internet was in awe of the mother’s efforts and hailed her for raising a gentleman who respects women. “Come with me on a date with my 13-year-old son,” a note on the video hinted.
A year ago, Marie had the bright idea of allowing her son to take her on a date to help him practice and know what he was doing when out with other women. For the mom, the practice dates served beyond the purpose. While it is a great way to teach her son manners and mutual respect, it also creates opportunities for them to bond over quality time together. Typically, Marie gives her teen son an allowance of $50 and lets him plan the whole day within the money limit. “I let him plan the entire date, just so that he can practice being creative, resourceful, and thoughtful,” she noted.
That day, her son chose a morning date at a Cat Cafe. Marie filmed key moments throughout the day to chart the life lessons she had successfully taught her teenage son. As they reached the destination, the boy made sure he opened the door for his mom and maintained his basic etiquette. The ticket cost to the cafe was $25 with drinks, which exhausted her son’s total allowance for the day. It was interesting to see how he would manage the rest of the day with no money left. The mother and son had a great time cuddling and petting the cats. She proudly expressed, “The cats were soooo sweet! What a thoughtful and different idea for a date! So proud.”
When his mom asked why he chose the Cat Cafe, his thoughtful answer touched her and many hearts online. “I chose the Cat Cafe in downtown because, one, it supports a good cause, so the money’s going to the kittens and cats. We both love cats, and it’s fun,” the young gentleman reflected. Back home, Marie taught her son how to make reservations online and book the tickets using her own credit card, fostering values of planning ahead and making arrangements for important things. The duo then drove to the beach and hopped on a Coastal Walking Trail that was free of cost. There, the mother and son sat near the ocean and enjoyed the breeze and serene views, also squeezing in some playful activities.
@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 ♬ original sound - Melissa Ann Marie
For their final stop for the date, they went to a restaurant to have Tacos, which cost them $24. Even though the date went over budget, Marie was content with her boy’s skills. She made him pay the bill with her card at the end. The proud mom admitted, “We always have the best time with it!” Women in the comments were bursting with joy and adoration of the boy’s work. “He is precious. Good job, mama!” said @livkess4 while @chelseaelaine said, “What a thoughtful little man!”
You can follow @melissaannmariee on TikTok for more videos.