Normalize Dating

 

For generational and cultural reasons, dating was somewhat of a fraught topic growing up.  My parents were the last people I would want to talk to about who I was into or what was going on in a particular romantic relationship.  And it was with my friends that I would scheme about and then execute dates, with no input or knowledge from mom or dad.  

But of course, dating is an utterly normal for a teenager to want to do.  And, as a parent, you want your kids to know this, to know that you know this, and to know that you support this.

Of course, teens are going to want to talk to other teens and not their own parents about certain things.  All well and good to have boundaries.  But Amy and I have tried to be open and supportive to our teens about encouraging them to go out on dates.  We want to have a connection with them so we can tell them how to behave and where to take care.  And we want them to know that it makes us happy that they like someone and can have fun.

I say all this now because it is clear that, between Jada and Aaron growing up over the years, and the emergence of in-person school after a year and a half of remote instruction, love is in the air.  Talk of who likes who routinely peppers the dinner table discussion nowadays, up from basically zero just a few months ago.  

While I'll confess that it is a bit bittersweet to see the kids grow up, and naturally so many worries abound, still I'm pleased to observe this stage of their lives.  I tell them regularly that they have so many more options, living in a big city, for going out and having fun with friends, including going on dates, than Amy or I had growing up in the suburbs.  And I hope that throughout all the discourse, they see from how we engage with them that liking someone, falling in love, and going on dates is natural, wonderful, and normal.