Talking to Your Child About Dating

ChildrenMOTHERS

February 19, 2024

dating

Conversations about relationships, dating, and intimacy need to start early (probably around the age of eight years). These chats need to happen so we can educate our children about how to have healthy relationships.

So, how do you broach the subject? Chat with them about things like:

  • The purpose of dating.
  • How old you both think someone should be before they start dating.
  • Whether dating should be exclusive, or whether dating should be more about getting to know people.
  • What people do on dates – and what they don’t do.
  • The relationship between trust and intimacy (both emotional and physical), and the risks that are part of the deal.

These conversations are crucial for sharing your values about relationships with your kids.

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Originally published at Mum Daily. Photo by Mohit Suthar.

Annette Spurr runs her own business at Blue Box Media and is also the Managing Editor at Mum Daily. As a wife and mother, Annette has discovered the power of gratitude journalling.

Annette Spurr runs her own business at Blue Box Media and is also the Managing Editor at Mum Daily. As a wife and mother, Annette has discovered the power of gratitude journalling.

One Comment

  1. Wyatt James October 13, 2026 at 11:09 pm - Reply

    Good advice about starting these talks early. In my experience, the conversations work best when parents also cover the serious side of teen relationships, like consent and the legal side of things like sexting. Teens listen better when they understand the real-world consequences.

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