Parents: When May Our Children Start Dating?

[scotrace]

I think that's an excellent rule to have in effect: my daughters know they can call anytime, day or night, if they feel they are in a situation they want out of. I'll come pick them up, anywhere on the planet, no questions asked. And I don't care what they've been doing, who they're with or how drunk they may be. No questions. Anything is better than having them get into a car with someone unsafe. I don't ever want to stand at the grave of one of my children again.

Fortunately, my babies are great girls. I doubt they'd ever need to call me. But if they do...

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I give my sister credit for the fact that when she has a gentleman caller, they always come to my parents' house. She feels less intimidated that way and I'm very proud of her for being that smart.

 

[jamespowers]

Guttersnipe's father sounds like my dad. An understanding ally without being a facilitator. My parents grew up in the 1960s, and they'd seen and done pretty much everything. As a consequence, somehow, they more-than-successfully raised my brother and I not to do any of that. I just hope I can be half as good as they were.

-Dave

Interesting. My father grew up in the 40s. I am sure he probably would have come and got me. The no questions asked would have been far from my mind though.
You just knew just how far you could go and no more. My mother told me when I turned 18 that from then on that I was responsible for myself so I had better act accordingly. Worked quite well. I never got into anything that I couldn't get myself out of.

 

[zombi]

I've not got children, either. But in my family, no one (boy or girl) was allowed to date until age 16.

 

[Puzzicato]

Fortunately, my babies are great girls. I doubt they'd ever need to call me. But if they do...

It's because they are great girls that they will call you. And they may need to because you can never predict what other people will do.

I was a great kid. I really was. And there were still a couple of nights where I had been given permission to sleep over at friends or whatever and I discovered that the plan changed (boys were invited, or "wouldn't it be fun to sneak out") and I either got a taxi home or called my mum to come get me. She knew she could trust me not to go along with the crowd and that I had good instincts.