Appropriate Age for Teenage Dating | Mom Minute

One thing my husband and I talk about a lot in our home {yes, we talk about something other than hairstyles}, is how to handle teenagers now that we have two.   It is a lot different than what we deal with in the younger children… and we still have 17 years to go until all of them are out of those years!

The Mom Minute episode this week on The Mom’s View is about teenage dating and at what age should it be appropriate…

Teenage Dating | Mom MinuteI need to disclaim myself here and state that our family’s age threshold for dating at 16 is established by what our faith teaches. But, it is much more than that.

Dating should be directly correlated to maturity.  It certainly does help that even our US government does not feel that a teen is mature enough to handle a motor vehicle, with their own lives and those of other passengers, drivers, or pedestrians they encounter, until they are aged 16.

After I filmed this episode, I talked to my twins about “dating” and figured out that the definition I grew up with is much different than what they understand it to be in their school.  Dating for me was literal courtship or just having fun by going out on dates with a member of the opposite sex.  For my children and their peers, dating means what I used to call “going steady” or having a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.

My husband and I both feel it is very important that our children are mature enough in dating to not only understand the power of love, but also be mature enough to comprehend the power of physical attraction and the responsibility/consequences that go along with it. {If you do not know what I am talking about, simply go ahead and watch an episode of MTV’s Teen Mom…}

Feel free to watch the video below to see my Mom Minute segment on teenage dating, at what age we feel it is appropriate for our children, and why…

What are your thoughts on teenage dating? Feel free to leave your responses here

Happy Parenting!

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  1. This is really interesting… in France we don’t have the same point of view at all. You say it’s up to YOU, you being the parent. In France it’s up to the person who is directly involved, the teen =D I started dating at 15 but I could have started earlier or later…
    And wow, from my point of view, driving at 16 is sooo young!!! I would not like to encounter a 16yo driver on our little windy roads 🙁 Or even in Paris!

  2. We don’t have any age for dating. We go on a case by case basis, depending on a lot of things–their maturity, who the person is and how well they know them and we know them, what kinds of things they want to do for dates. We try to have them they stick to group things and family things. We invite the person they like on family outings or over for dinner. This is usually the best, as even in a group situation kids can cover for other kids if there is something inappropriate going on. We connect with the parents early on and try to get both families together early on so we can be in contact if necessary.

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