All About Parenting Teenagers

[Busybugz73]

Just sharing my conversations with some of my younger colleagues. Most of them have their first BF or GF by the age of 14. I think that is really young. What are your views? Will you allow your teens to date?

[jedamum]

The question is, can you stop them in the first place?

I don't think it applies only to generations younger than us (eg your younger colleagues). Dh's dated in his teens too. My bro had a record of almost-use-10fingers-to-count gf (1 at a time) during his teen to ns. :faint:

[sharonkhoo]

jedamum:

The question is, can you stop them in the first place?

I don't think it applies only to generations younger than us (eg your younger colleagues). Dh's dated in his teens too. My bro had a record of almost-use-10fingers-to-count gf (1 at a time) during his teen to ns. :faint:

What I have tried to do (successfully so far - daughters are 18 and 20, no boyfriends) is to help them set their sights high in terms of what to look for in a boyfriend. We started talking to them when they were preteens, just a little now and again. They have friends in church and school who are boys, but no \"boyfriend\". They go out in groups, not on \"dates\". My younger girl told me she was stunned recently when one of her schoolfriends, visiting our church, commented that some of the boys were really considerate (based on something she saw them do), and asked my daughter why the girls hadn't grabbed them as boyfriends. My daughter says that her group of church friends don't consider themselves old enough to be thinking of steady relationships yet, and they enjoy just hanging out as a group without the boyfriend-girlfriend labels getting in the way. I'm happy that they think like that, though I am prepared that \"boyfriends\" will appear within the next couple of years.

[Busybugz73]

Thanks for sharing, Jedamum and Slmkhoo. Good to hear from parents who's been there and done that!

[klim360]

Oh dear… seeing all the posts about dating… makes me worried for my 2 boys…

[Jen_11]

klim360:

Oh dear.. seeing all the posts about dating... makes me worried for my 2 boys...

Don't worry... if you parent your kids well it won't be a problem. Both my kids are at that age now, but perhaps being in single gendered schools help... maybe the time will only come when they go on to JC or poly...

[Sallyting74]

thanks for this, will pass this on.

[Sallyting74]

thanks for this, will pass this on.

[foosoomin]

Alright, how to motivate a passive 15 year old boy to study? He seems no interest to study

[sharonkhoo]

foosoomin:

Alright, how to motivate a passive 15 year old boy to study? He seems no interest to study

What is he interested in? How does he spend his time?