You’re son comes home one day, an absent smile playing on his lips. He seems very preoccupied and totally dazed. When you ask him if he’s okay, he answers that he’s fine, a tad too quickly, but you have no way of finding out what the matter is. You’re flummoxed! But here’s an insight into your child’s mind – he’s just back from a successful date!
Hard to believe? You’re probably dismissing this reason already because it’s not possible, your son is just twelve! He doesn’t fully understand what dating means! Well, here’s another tip for you, he’s dating alright and even though he’s not very clued about dating, he’s not too clueless either!
Face it, kids are growing up at an alarmingly fast pace these days! No, not physically, but mentally, they’re maturing way faster than you or me! It’s a scary thing, this evolution! It hits you when you least expect it to.
So what can you do as a parent? Don’t even think of grounding your son, it’s not going to work! He’ll only rebel and go on more dates! In fact, he might even get physical with his “girlfriend” and there’s nothing more scary than that since he doesn’t understand the importance of protection.
As a parent, the first thing you can do is sit down and explain to your son what dating exactly is. Or better still, why not have the “talk” with him! He’s prepared for it, let me tell you! You also need to understand that your son is mentally more mature than you were at twelve.
Then, when the opportunity arises and your son is in a good mood, tell him that you are against him dating anyone this early. Yet, at the same time, you don’t mind if he goes out in a group with his friends of the opposite sex. You can even call them over for some supervised “fun time”! That way, you’ll at least be aware of what your son is up to! Make your house, your son and his friends’ hangout, it might be a bit of trouble, but it’s worth it, for your peace of mind!
A recent survey reveals that if a child has been on his first date between the ages of 11 and 13, the chances of him being sexually active in high school are about 90%! Pretty scary that, eh? Well, do ensure that you do your bit to keep your child away from trouble!
