I get how parents get worried about their children while they are growing up. Teenage is an important phase. All other phases are but teenage is when your child starts to understand their emotions, their likes-dislikes and sometimes they misunderstand attraction with love.
Teenagers dating rules doesn’t mean to keep your children away from their friends. These are the rules that parents and teens have to coordinate together when he/she starts dating.
You cannot stop your child from feeling what they are feeling or liking who they like. If you do so, they might start lying, keeping secrets, not trusting you and may even feel lonely on days they are facing relationship issues.
This article is a parenting tip plus dating guidelines to their children so both parents and teens can have a healthier relationship between them.
9 Teenagers Dating Rules To Normalize
1. Traditional Home
In traditional homes when son or daughter reach their teenage, they are being guided as per traditional beliefs.
Most of the time, when the kid starts dating, he/she is tortured or pressurized to not continue since it is a sinful act. They are being told that they would get involved in sinful acts which will result in disappointment in the society.
If your family has the orthodox thinking, walks on beliefs, or you are the one then you must take initiatives to think from their side of the story too.
Kids are sensitive and innocent. They would believe in what they are being told. If not, they would suppress or get detached from you. It’s better to let them do what they like to for they will learn if they make any mistakes.
In the process, just make some obvious rules for teens. Rules that they can genuinely follow. If you are fine with them doing what they like, they will have sense of trust in you and will definitely follow some ground rules that you make.
2. Spend Time
Spend time with your teens. Try not to ask them about their relationship. It may get weird for them to talk about it.
You only get comfortable when you find comfort around someone. Likewise, if your kid is not finding comfort around you, they wouldn’t talk about anything. So, be friends with them like you are friends with your friends.
Parenting and friendship are two concepts but can be handled separately in different situations. It’s important to act like a parent but also a friend when it is needed the most. It will enable you to understand your child and your child will understand you too.
So, focus on doing discussions and not question answer sessions with them. And if you are a teen, make sure you understand the concerns of your parents. They may be wrong at some points, but you too can take initiative to make them understand calmly.
3. Outdoor Activities
It may happen that your teen has recently started dating and is involved in the other person a lot. They may want to frequently go out to see them or to go out with them at a party, for lunch or dinner.
In such cases, you might not want them to go out constantly and frequently. For such issues you can set ground rules. You don’t need to stop them but create a schedule and time period they can stay out.
In this way they wouldn’t feel controlled, go as they want and will come back as you want. Trust is mutual. If you as a parent trust them, if you as a teen trust your parents, you will recieve it back.
4. Dating Advice
Teenagers dating rules sounds a new concept. People haven’t been aware of it because they as a parent wants to control the teen and teens seek for the freedom.
Dating advice must be considered since it’s a new phase in the lives of teens. They may not be aware of certain acts that goes in the society. Like social skills, social media and its usage.
You as a parent need to advise them over its legal and illegal usage. Sharing nude pictures on social media, or asking for pictures in an online dating can cause them.
Just as they want you to not involve in their personal life, they should take care of not revealing it in public as well.
Assure them that you respect their relationship and however they want it to be but taking care of the ways they are using social media can save their lives.
5. Healthy Relationship
Teenagers dating rules must include healthy relationship ideas as well. Teens do not know what makes a relationship stronger. They get heart broken and move on.
Every kid learns from the house. If they are been put in surroundings where they acknowledge the better way of communication, better treatment in relationships and better date ideas, there will be lesser chance of them getting heartbroken.
If you are noticing your daughter and her boyfriend fighting a lot or vice versa, you may take initiative to resolve their issues. Not by directly asking about their issues, but showing them ways to resolve their issues.
It will help your teen live in peace and will understand the importance of resolving their issues.
6. Value Consent
The most important teenage dating advice for guys is to be able to value consent. Even daughters should be aware of the concept.
If their partners do not agree for anything they must respect it. They must not predict the acceptance from their partners before asking for it.
This also includes the toxic relationship environment. If they are seeing physical force, toxicity, or are manipulated, then they must not avoid it just because they love the other person.
Parenting is essential. Better parenting is very much essential. Nobody is going to teach them to take stand for themselves but parents. Obsessive teenage relationships can make them avoid certain behavior and habits. So, it is your duty to talk about it.
7. Long Distance
Teens may meet someone online who stays far away and start dating. Long distance relationships are quite tough to handle. They may often stay upset, seek affection, and seek for their presence.
Prepare your teens before they start dating someone who doesn’t stay in the same city for tough days or if they are already dating someone then make sure you keep up with them regularly.
The feeling of loneliness hits different. They may want someone to listen to them, hear them out. In those days, you can be the one being there for them and supporting them.
8. Gender Identity
You start to discover your true self normally in the adolescence stage. For some they may notice earlier or later to this phase. And some may not accept due to strict surroundings and insecurities.
Firstly, as a parent you must know that being biased toward gender identities can make your teen uncomfortable around you.
If they have found out something about them, they will look for acceptance. If you seem to not support all communities and same-sex marriage, but just opposite sex marriage then they may not ever want to talk about it to you.
So, support them as they are and their relationships if they are having one.
9. Presents
Stages of teenage dating goes from talking late night to becoming addictive to each other to giving each other presents. In almost situations, guys are the ones who take care of the wishes of their girl friends.
They may gift subscription, vouchers, birthday gifts and even on regular days. This may become irritating to you but remember that is what happens in relationships and more in teen relationships because it’s a complete new phase for them, so they wish to go for relationship goals.
Be happy in their happiness, just do your part in guiding them towards the right path so, they don’t lose the track and break your trust. They will learn from their mistakes if they are going wrong anywhere.
Your part always has to be to direct them and guide them towards the right direction and not tell them to do this or that. It will improve your relationship with them, and they will look upon you in tough times.
Author profile – Rukayya Zirapur is a certified counseling practitoner. She aims at directing individuals toward self growth. She puts uplifting contents at https://rukayya.com and makes sure to achieve the motive.