As your teenage son approaches sixteen, he may be getting ready to begin dating. This is an exciting time for teenagers, but it is important that your son remembers to maintain the church standards while on a date. Here are five ideas that can help you prepare your son for the dating world.
1) Teach your son to treat others with respect. You can teach him the etiquette basics and encourage him to open the door for the young woman he is out with. You can take this a step further by teaching him to respect women and girls in the way he talks and acts both when he is with them and when he is not.
2) You should establish a strict curfew for your son. You may make occasional changes for special nights, but on the whole, he should be home at a decent hour. This helps to ensure that he stays out of trouble when he is dating. You may want to stress that even if his curfew is before the young lady’s that he still needs to be home on time.
3) You should sit down and review the standards with your son right before he turns sixteen. I would definitely cover the sections on dating, sexual purity and music and dancing. It is important to talk about different scenarios that may arise and how to handle them. You should also encourage your son to not have a serious girlfriend until after his mission.
4) You may want to take your son to a nice restaurant for a practice date. This will help him feel comfortable in this setting and it is a nice way to spend some time together as well. My parents took each of us out to a nice place on our own when we turned sixteen.
5) It is important to know whom your son is dating. Encourage your son to bring his friends over and make your home a welcoming place for all. This is one of the best ways of staying aware of the challenges that he may be facing.
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