You have a teen that is around sixteen or seventeen years of age who is constantly talking about their biggest crush and how their crush is showing interest in them – oh boy.
That is one thing that parents are not prepared for – their kids dating. However, teen dating is a normal part of them growing into adulthood and they should not be held back.
At the same time, teens need plenty of advice when they begin to enter the dating world, and their parents are the ones who should be giving them solid advice on dating (they can also get advice from their high school guidance counselors as well).
In order for your teen to maintain a trusting relationship with you, you will need to be the one to give advice.
Are you unsure of what type of advice to give? No problem. Here are 5 solid tips you can use when you are telling your teen about how to approach the dating world.
1. Focus On Their Friends And Studies
It is easy for teens to get lost when they are with their new boyfriends or girlfriends, as they won’t make time for anything else. They need to be aware to not let their studies slide as well as to neglect their friends. Their friends will become upset by them for ignoring them. This also means that this way, teens can learn about time management too so they can balance everything in their lives.
2. Going At It Slowly Is Essential
Teens must be aware that they cannot rush into any relationship no matter how tempted they are. Let it start off with one date a weekend to a public place such as a restaurant or movie theatre. And allow it to be that way for a while until the relationship is becoming solid in time. If they rush into a relationship especially since they have no prior experience with dating, then they will burn out and want to move onto someone else. That will only cause feelings to be hurt.
3. Teens Must Know Themselves First
Before your teen goes into a relationship, encourage him or her to know him or herself by joining different activities to determine the likes, dislikes, and general preferences. That would not be a good thing if your teen goes into a relationship with someone who they don’t know whether or not their partner would have anything in common with them. The relationship would not last either way. This will help them know what they want in a relationship as well.
4. Encourage Them To Trust Their Instincts
Peer pressure could move teens to do certain things that they are not comfortable with. They also might feel peer pressure for dating in general. Teens need to be encouraged to trust their intuition for not just whether they really are ready to start dating or not but to trust it when it comes to someone who they are interested in. If they feel off vibes about their crush, then they need to be encouraged to trust that.
5. Safe Sex Is The First Thing To Talk About
It is never too early to teach kids about safe sex. You can’t stop them from having sex, but they can be encouraged to wait until the relationship they are in is serious as well as being smart and safe about it. Buy condoms for boys and girls, and tell them both to keep one in their wallets once they are in a relationship.
Do you know of any good dating tips to give teens that can be helpful for other parents? Please share it if you do.
