How to Prepare Your Daughter for Dating
So your daughter has reached the teen years and wants to start dating, and you want to make sure she is ready to make good choices. Here are some suggestions that will help you maneuver through these tough times.
Take your daughter on a date. Plan a date night where the focus is actually on the “dos” and “don’ts” of dating. Caution: It is around this age that most daughters perfect the eye roll. Do not let these eye rolls stop you.
Ask your daughter the following questions and then listen closely to her answers.
- Is anyone in her class dating yet?
- What does she know about dating?
- What does she feel is a good age to start dating? And why?
- Do her friends talk about dating?
Discuss what you know best - boys. If you don’t educate her on boys, someone else will, and they might not have her best interests in mind. Most fathers find this discussion uncomfortable, and so will your daughter. She may try to change the subject by intimidating you into thinking it is stupid and unnecessary. Don’t fall for it.
Explain to your daughter that she is a valuable young lady. A father is the first man who is supposed to pursue his daughter’s heart. If you pursue your daughter’s heart in the right way (with her best interests in mind), it will prove to her that she is worthy of receiving love and respect.
Explain the concept of “listening to your gut.” Most of us have experienced times where a situation just doesn’t seem right. Explain to your daughter that she too will experience this and that she should listen to her gut and flee the situation.
One more important question: What is your love life modeling for your children? Whether you are divorced, married, in a second marriage, or dating, your children are watching how you treat and are treated by your loved one, how you express your love, and how you argue with your mate. They learn by watching you. Although no parent in the history has ever been a perfect role model, we can honestly acknowledge our mistakes and do better.