Parenting and Dating

Dad, when was the last time your kids saw you initiate taking their mom on a date? Did you get cleaned up and give her proper attention? Mom, how have you talked about your husband with your kids? Single parent, have you set an example for your kids by showing respect to the opposite sex while dating or otherwise? Open and honest communication can be tough and risky but it is important. 
 
If we don’t model and talk about dating, where will our God given treasures learn about it---beer commercials, sitcoms, locker rooms? There is an assault on the family from billboards, jokes, fashion, pressures from neighbors and school demands. We are not to become absent and hide our heads in the sand; rather we are to be aware, relevant, biblical and practical. Our role as a parent is to be an example, teaching how to make good decisions, especially the hard ones, and how to follow through with them.
 
Psalms 1, 15 and 24 have excellent principles and examples for us about the integrity of our character. This guides our behavior which will surface in our dating and treatment of others. Each of these three chapters provides clear pictures of how we are to act and respond. They describe the choices of a Christ-follower.
 
The foundation for an effective parent/teen dating conversation starts years before the teen years arrive…long before hormones have become stirred. Your kids early years of watching mom and dad respond to each other provide the safe-haven to ask any and all questions. The little girl that plays with her dolls and asks how babies are made doesn’t need a full biology course. The boy that sees dad love their mom and their mom who respects their father will be ready to listen and embrace dating direction.
 
Even previous poor choices from a parent’s past does not disqualify them, rather it aids them in becoming an advocate for their child. Hard lessons can turn into wonderful opportunities of healing, protection and rites of passage for a teen with a parent that cares enough to share.  Use discernment and don’t major in the ugliness of the mistake, rather redirect it to betterment for a sweet intimacy with your child. 

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Camper Corner
Believe it or not, when your parents were your age, they had the same awkward feelings that you can/will experience while dating. Parents are God’s tools to help shape and mold you. Dating is a perfect place to learn how to be excellent stewards of “Loving God and loving others.” Freak your parents out and invite them into this incredible chapter of your life. They are the ones who will be there when you’re doing well and when you’re hurting most.