Teen Dating
The teen-years are the most difficult and trying times for parents. Teenagers want to strut their independence and their parents want to maintain some degree of authority. Of all the teenage dramas, dating is one of the most difficult to deal with.
We know that dating involves emotions and when emotions are not controlled, they lead to erratic behavior. Relationships, as we adults already know, can be devastating emotionally. Dealing with this as a teenager compounds the problem. We cannot teach our children how to effectively fall in love, because love is organic and arbitrary. But there are pieces of advice that we can impart to our children and hope it resonates with them.
- Express the importance of friendship first. Explain to them that any good relationship begins as friends. Let them know that this may be an indication that the person likes you for more than your looks or your body.
- Advise them not to share sexually explicit text or photos with anyone. Let them know that having sex prematurely with a person who doesn’t mean them well, can cause them a lot of heartache and embarrassment.
• Encourage them to show love for themselves by being themselves and to not let others coerce, shame, or intimidate them into doing something they don’t want to do. - As parents we should know who our children run with, what kinds of people are they. It’s not about being nosey, it’s about being aware and informed. It important to help your child navigate this precarious stage of their life.
