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Dating 101
Pre-dating Rituals for Young Teens
By Sharon Waldrop
As parents of young teenagers, we wake up each day dreading the anticipation of such questions as, "Can I go to a rock concert tonight with a new friend I just met today? Her uncle's neighbor will keep an eye on us – maybe."
There's also the infamous, "When can I learn how to drive?" or even worse, "Susan got her driver's license today and wants to drive me to the mall. Can I go?" My solution to a question like that is, "You can go if you cleaned your room last night." A quick and easy way to say "no" without being pegged as the bad guy or uncool.
And yes, there is a question worse than, "Can I have an all-night party at our house?" That question is: "Can I go on a date?"
Chances are that when a person who recently reached the teenage years uses the word "date" in a sentence, he is not referring to the fruit that grows high atop tall, thin trees in Palm Springs, California. He is referring to a social situation with a member of the opposite sex sans parental supervision.
Views on dating vary from one parent to another. Some parents will allow dating at a younger age than other parents. Limitations on the age of the dating candidate may be pre-determined, too. And those guidelines may or may not be consistent with the ones parents grew up with.
What happens when a teen wants to spend time with a special member of the opposite gender, but you feel he's underage? Yesterday you packed away the Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars for good, and today your teen wants to trade in those toys for dinner and a movie for two. The interest is there, but your teen's age and your guidelines are a dual roadblock.
