Fathers of reddit, what was the thing that made you realize that the SO of your son/daughter is the right person for them?

1. Two stories- background is when my husband and I met and instantly fell in love, he was a full time single father of our son, who was still a baby. My in laws said the day I stood up for him and myself for how we had decided to raise our son, they knew I was the right one. My dad is getting remarried later this year, and he recently told my husband that when they first met, my dad knew that he was already the kind of father he wished he had been. When my dad decided to propose to his girlfriend, he told my husband that he had learned what kind of husband he wanted to be by watching how my husband loves me.
   — mrsfriend430


2. My MIL says she liked me the very first night I met them bc I made fun of my husband's high school wrestling pictures. She also thanks me in my birthday card for making him a better man.
   — ethnicninja


3. My oldest son and his now wife had a son when they were 16. Been together almost 25 years. I guess with them it was when they snuck off and got married a few months before they graduated from college so they could sit together. Oldest daughter has an MBA and works as a regional director for a large hotel chain. She's always been a grease monkey so she married a mechanic. I knew when I saw them underneath an old car laughing as they changed a transmission when the fluid poured all over them. Youngest daughter? There really was no exact moment, her husband just grew on me. He has always been a nice guy and terrific father. I guess if I had to choose a moment, it could have been when I found out he knew how to use a sextant.
   — SixthFleetAdmiral






4. She trashed him in FIFA. And no, he wasn't letting her win.
   — WoobyWiott


5. My mom called me one morning (and really freaked me out because who calls anymore) but she told me that she and my dad were talking and he told her that it makes him really happy seeing me and my bf together. He said he sees us making plans for our future, little things like fixing up our home and planning travel, but he said it reminds him of how he and my mom were when they were first settling down together. My father has never been an emotional type or one to share his feelings. The most affection he shows me is placing a hand on my shoulder when I'm over for family dinner night. So my mom waited for him to leave and then she called me because it made her happy that he said those things and wanted to share with me. She ended the conversation saying that she and my dad just want me to be happy and that if I wasn't happy for whatever reason, to please just tell them and don't keep it to myself/lie about it. (I had in the past) I thanked her for telling me and then after I hung up, just sobbed because it was the sweetest gesture. My bf found me and freaked out while i was trying to explain that it was... just... so... sweet!!! D: between tears. lol
   — thenshesays


6. My dad’s favorite thing to do is tease people. He loves to see how mad he can make me and how much he can get away with making fun of someone (in a friendly way not a malicious way). So when he first met my boyfriend I knew that he was going to really lay into the guy dating his baby girl. My came over to watch a football game at my aunt and uncle’s house and that was the first time he met my dad. My bf went right up to my dad and shook his hand, introduced himself, and called my dad sir. Basically he was as polite and respectful as possible. My dad later told me he planned on teasing the hell out of him but when he walked right up and showed so much confidence and respect he realized he couldn’t tease someone so respectful. I think the moment my dad met my bf was the moment he liked him.
   — peachgreenbri






7. * He introduced her to D&D. * He's one of the few people I've ever met that she'll listen to when she's pissed about something - she'll calm down, and he's really inoffensive and smooth about it. * He's good to all of her siblings - He and my 9 yr old son are total bros. * He's got his shit together, way more than any guy at his age has any right to. That's a few of the reasons. There's way more, but that's off the top of my head.
   — slice_of_pi


8. My dad told me he knew when my SO of 3 years postponed his final and drove 3 hours like a madman to make it to my paternal grandmother's funeral in time to be with me. (Edited to avoid roll tide.)
   — hanterville


9. He respects her, and they complement each other i.e., their strengths support each other. I also trusted her judgement-she was in her mid 20s at the time, and mature.
   — garysai






10. My father told me he liked my choice in partner because he's the only person I ever brought home who could hold his own in a political debate. Dad loves my husband and they chat for at least an hour anytime we Skype. They mostly talk politics, aviation and wildlife.
    — unequivocallyvegan


11. He can identify vegetables.
    — Spoonhorse


12. So I'm the mom but my husband and I have discussed this. My daughter is pretty early on in a relationship but they are talking long term. We embraced him immediately. He felt like one of the family. But what I like MOST about him is that she is 100% herself with him. With previous boyfriends, I always felt like she was on edge, or trying to be something she's not. Maybe it is just maturity. He makes her laugh, accepts her exactly as she is and she's happy. That makes us happy. I'm secretly hoping this sticks.
    — AssumePositiveIntent