Remember When…?
Are You Ready to Date?
How is it that some people start dating at such a young age, and others are so much older before they begin to have dates? Both teen-agers and their parents often wonder what the best age to begin dating is. The question looms even more nowadays because so many young people start their dating so early in life. Should parents be concerned? Is there really a special age at which dating should begin?
WHEN TEEN-AGERS START DATING
The Purdue Opinion Panel Poll of high school students reported in 1957 that 31 per cent of the boys and 40 per cent of the girls started to date before they were fourteen years old. This means that a good many teen-agers begin to date before they get into high school. It also confirms the observation that girls, in general, tend to mature earlier and start dating earlier than boys, age for age.
But still another finding of the Purdue Poll of tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade high school students is that one out of eight teen-agers doesn’t date at all! How come that some young people start having dates even before they’re in high school, and others have no dating experience whatsoever during their teens? What do teen-agers themselves have to say on this subject?
DATING
Dating is
one of the most exciting periods of your life. Suddenly, there are new horizons
before you, friendships flower, your personality blooms, and your sense of
being a desirable person worthy of affection becomes real. This is a time of
great exhilaration, splendor, and discovery. To live it fully is to enjoy one
of life’s most delightful experiences.
To miss out
on dating is a shame and a waste, especially when there is still time to do
something about it. Dating is an art, and like all arts it must be cultivated
to give results. Approach it with honesty, enthusiasm, energy, and it begins to
take form. And soon you have answers to the questions that were worrying you. Long before you actually start dating, you dream about it. Wistfully, you see other fellows and girls out together on dates, laughing, talking, going places, and having a seemingly effortless, wonderful time. Before you ever get a date, you see yourself as the gallant hero or the glamorous heroine of a romantic situation.
You imagine all the right words and actions so easily, so vividly, that you can hardly wait to start dating. Yet, somewhere inside you anticipate the awkward moments when you will stand tongue-tied and clumsy before some very special person, finding that dating is anything but wonderful. You swing between eagerness and anxiety, impatient to try your wings at one moment, and afraid of a take-off in the next.
Teens need to learn many things while traveling through the life stage of adolescence, including many things about teen friendships and dating. While there are lots of wisdom you will want to impart to your teenager of the years, here is how to help your teen learn about dating using these five truths. FiveTruths about Your Teen and Dating
Probably you are wondering when you can start participating in this new exciting experience. For some of you the answer will be easy. If you belong to a closely knit group that does everything together, having dates within that circle of familiar friends will come naturally and simply. But for the majority of young people the answer is not so easy.
ARE YOU READY TO DATE?
WHAT ABOUT YOUR DATE’S AGE?
THE RIGHT DATE FOR YOU
ASKING FOR A DATE
ACCEPTING OR REFUSING A DATE
DATING—HOW OFTEN? HOW LATE?
WHAT TO DO ON A DATE
HOW MUCH DO DATES COST?
CARS, DATES, AND FAMILIES
HOW TO SAY “NO”
FALLING IN AND OUT OF LOVE
EXPRESSING AFFECTION
SEXUAL RELATIONS BEFORE MARRIAGE
GOING STEADY
GETTING MARRIED
Look for
upcoming blogs that deal with teen dating, as well as wonderful books your teen
will enjoy to enhance their dating experience. Email us at: forourkids1st@aol.com to order your eBook
on Teen Dating and receive a free eBook on Teen Weight Loss. You can also order other books on parenting
and teen problems and solutions on this site as well.
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Whether court ordered, or in need of basic parenting skills, this class is for you. Call to register now at 1- (757) 327-0481. We will be happy to assist you through both education and life experiences. Email us at:forourkids1st@aol.com. Visit our blog at: http://forourkids1st.blogspot.com. Need some one on one training? Chat with me at: http://imlive.com/waitingroom1ms.asp?hostnick=AskLinda
