When to Let Your Children Date

[Mike]

I fully support your decisions as parents to hold certain guidelines that are stricter than ours. Joshua has earned a whole lot of trust from us. I realize things can turn unexpectedly, given certain situations, but he and I have these discussions regularly. "What's your move if X happens?" We are all trying to raise our kids safely to grow closer to the Lord. By the time a kid is 17, the emphasis is even more on preparing them to be responsible adults.

This comes down to our philosophies in reaching those ends. Joshua is receiving invitations from colleges all over Michigan with the very real possibility of scholarships. He could be away at a 4-year school in 18 months. This was one of the driving factors that led us to put them in public school after being in a Christian school through 8th grade. We wanted them to get out of their bubble while they were still in our sphere of influence. I'm more afraid of their response to complete freedom if they bust out of that gate at a school 200 miles away.

They can go to public places at Joshua's age while we have our talks, pray on him, and he never forgets that our house will choose the Lord.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Mike, this is why we need to have conversations with them throughout their growth years. My opinion is, it is never too early to start talking about the so-called "difficult" subjects: Sex, drugs, alcohol, tobacco. When a child is old enough to be cognizant of the world around him/her, starts notices others' behaviors, pay attention to televisions commercials, etc., they are old enough to start getting input about those subjects.

I do not advocate "the talk." It is too late to have "the talk" on any of these subjects by the time most parents consider having "the talk." The best method is what I call "life-clips," vignettes of life that give us opportunities to address the thing being observed. A beer commercial portraying happy, skimpily clad young women running around drinking beer gives us the opportunity to address the reality of that picture. A scene in a television show showing kissing, embracing, etc., gives us a chance to get the thoughts and feelings of a child about those things and enables us to shape their growing views on the opposite sex. Witnessing a police officer's traffic stop on the highway lets us talk about consequences.

None of these "life clips" needs to last more than a minute. If we institute these from the early ages of childhood for our kids, "the talk" becomes unnecessary. The expectations are established, and the child grows up with the proper attitude.

 

[cleanfreak]

as a Father of 2 little girls, the answer to the OP's question is:

NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

as a Father of 2 little girls, the answer to the OP's question is:

NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I see rebellion in your future!

:toofunny