If you have a daughter in Young Women’s then she will soon be old enough to date, if she is not already. This can be a scary time for parents. It is important to set up good ground rules for your daughter long before she goes on her first date. This can be done through a series of discussions on the points that you feel are most important. You may find some middle ground on some points, while others you hold firm to. Here are five areas that you may want to discuss.
One good point to discuss is dating safety. This is important so that your daughter will not end up in a dangerous or uncomfortable situation. You may decide that your daughter needs to double date the first few times that she goes out with someone. Another part of dating safety is having a curfew that is firmly established. In high school I had a time to call and check in by when I wasn’t dating, and a set time to be home when I was. You may decide on a similar strategy for your daughter.
Another important point to talk about is serious dating in high school. The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet warns against serious dating. You may want to talk to your daughter about why this guidance has been set up. If she does get serious with someone you may want to talk about further precautions they should take to avoid making mistakes. You should set up guidelines about being home alone together, dating in groups and other issues.
Finally you should talk about the importance of being open about whom she is dating and where she is going. This is important for a lot of reasons. It is important to know whom your daughter is dating, and falling in love with. You may want to include him in your family activities, so that you can get to know him better. Additionally you should know where she is, so you can reach her, and find her if anything were to happen.
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