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.
___
Originally published at Mum Daily. Photo by Mohit Suthar.
One Comment
Leave A Comment
Related News
“In family life, be completely present,” is a saying of Lao Tzu from 600 BC. Here we are now, 2600 years later, and we are still struggling to learn this simple but profound piece of advice. This advice is all the more critical for fathers, and even more critical for fathers living in the twenty-first century. Dr Justin Coulson has written a book on parenting titled: “What your child needs from ...
Warwick Marsh
With the young becoming quickly addicted to digital technology and social media, parents need to be aware and prepared for disciplining and guiding their children in the use of the internet. Whether we like it or not, you and I are pioneers in this brave new world of parenting in cyberspace. Answering questions our parents never had to deal with, like: is my child too young to have a Twitter account? ...
Annette Spurr
News
Dads4Kids News is for writers to share insights, stories, the latest research and news to encourage dads and their families.
Most Read
The opinions of our writers are not necessarily the opinion of Dads4Kids. Please do your own research and come to your own conclusions. We welcome feedback and if you would like to submit an article to Dads4Kids, please contact the editor at info@dads4kids.org.au
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.