The thread on the chaperoned movie date got me thinking. When do you think is the "appropriate" age to start dating???

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

Early 30's.....LOL Just kidding...

Serious one on one dates, maybe 14, 15 16ish....

Before that only group sort of meet at the movies type things....I dont know...My kids are too young for me to decide yet!!

That's how I feel! I have ideas but since my kids are young I'll just wait and see how it all plays out.

"Socializing" (group meetings at a set time - with a set of Parents there) can be age 12 - 6th grade
"Dating" (I ask one individual and pay for the other person's ticket/meal parent on premises but not involved) would be age 14 or 8th grade)
"Date" (kid gets the car and picks up date - he'll be qualified after one clean year of driving record!)

Back in the day... geez I feel old now!--- but back in the day...
we "socialized" at the local roller skating rink or the latest movie.
"Early Dating" I was chaparoned from age 14 to 16 if a boy wanted to "go" somewhere.
First Date - Boy allowed to pick me up was after being presented at my Sweet 16th Birthday.
by the way, I had to have the clean driving record too! so what was good for me will be good for my kids!---
I felt special that my dad wanted to protect me like that. It doesn't mean I didn't wish sometimes that I was out like the other girls but in the end I knew how much my Parents loved me and wanted what was best for me.

Our kids are being told we will judge maturity not age when approving privileges like learner's permit, dating, being left at home alone, etc.

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Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

I remember going on group dates when i was 13-ish. It was more like a group of friends than a real date. We would go to the movies or to play golf. I can't even imagine though...since my girls are young.

15 or 16...my DH says 21 (guess he wasn't such an angel like me!)

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Mom to Miss C & Mr. E
Former SAHM now working full time
feboll@neo.rr.com

I have seven daughters and I say NEVER LOL

We are not letting my DD who is 15 date until she is 16

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Dawnie
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If there is a will there is a way!

We've always told Fletcher that he can date once he's gotten his drivers license and proves to us that he will be responsible with the car and his attitude. That being said, he'll be in the 7th grade next year and is already talking about "going out" with girls. The girl next door who's the same age is constantly talking about boys that are hottie's with a capital H. I didn't realize that it happened this quickly and we may have to reevaluate our stand if these kids remain hormonally driven. He may not date until he's gone off to college if I think that he's not mature enough.

my kids never really dated...........I suppose the verdict is still out on my son. He just turned 18. BTW, he just left for college/camp today. Sad, sad mommy here.

anyway.....If you read "Why I kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris, that pretty much describes our stand on the subject I thought of it first, I just didn't think to write to book!! lol

well, i am not basing in on my experience, cause I know that i was way too young.

Currently, I have an 11 year old going on 12 and I can tell you that he is no where ready to date. I am guessing that 'maybe' just maybe he'll be ready for dating at 14 and that's if he has some miraculous maturity increase.

My 7 year old.....if he continues to grow mature wise, he'll probably be fine at 14.

Now, my daughter is going to be a toughy. She is a daddy's girl and he says she is not dating til she is well into her 30's, lol.....but I can tell you that she will NOT be dating at 12 or 13...and most likely not 14.

But for us, time will tell. I can't say any set age as of right now, because like I said above, my oldest is no where close to maturity.

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email is moserlara@yahoo.com

I started group dating at 13.

However, my oldest dd is 13 now but has no interest in boys yet. She goes out to the movies or ice skating with a group of girl friends. So, I suppose whenever she's ready. I know some of her friends go on group dates.

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

I say 16, it could change my daughter is only 2, lol. Heck I didn't date til I was like 18, my choice of course.

This is an earned privelage. If I don't trust my children they won't date at age 16, if I trust them they can date. I will allow skating with a group of friends, movies with a group of friends and mall walking with a group of friends sooner if the child can be trusted.

No car dating alone until age 16 period!

Ha ha!! I have an 8 yr old ds who informed me on Friday that he and his "girlfriend" had broken up. I was like, "broken up? How can you break up when you are not going together, you are 8 years old for God's sake"! Mine has started wwwaaayyyy to early!!!

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Mom to 3 - one with 2 legs and 2with 4!

I say depending on the maturity of the kids and you know the parents and if it's like a group date or chaperoned by parents I say 13, now if it's one on one then I think probably 15-16. I know that my DH will not let our daughter probably date until she is well into her teen years. She is only 8 right now but is already so boy crazy it's not even funny!

I'll let my kids start group dating at 16, single dating at 17... When I was in jr. High School, our health teacher talked about some studies about how the younger you are when you start dating, the more likely you are to have sex at a relatively young age(under 16)... Here's something interesting...
Researchers Link Teen Sex To Early Friendships, Steady Dating

lol!!


our youngest is 16 and just started the "group dating" or "family date".

we refuse to let her get her driver's license (long story, but the licensing in Michigan for teens is NOT like it used to be when I was younger--it's much more expensive and is a graduated license and it really doesn't change the way kids drive or the amount of accidents they are in). She can wait until she is 18...go in take the written test, and the road test and get a full license.

The two eldest girls were primarily raised by their Father, and lemme tell ya...they are both WILD!! Ages 19 and 20 now, they were allowed to date unsupervised from 13 on....thankfully their bad behavior is a good role model for our youngest daughter as "how not to turn out".


~*~

Make-up age 15---light & occasional (foundation only)
make-up age 16---light (gloss, mascara, foundation, blush)
make-up age 17--moderate (eyes liner, lipstick, etc)
make-up age 18--whatever, just don't look like a hooker. lol

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SPJRNTGADL!

My son is 16 and he just recently went on his first guy/girl alone at the movies date. I dropped them off and the Mom of the girl picked them up. I talked with the mother a few times before the date actually happened and everyone met everyone else at a few "come to our house and watch movies" date.

I think that 14-15 is the right age for group outings. At 16 they can start dating solo, but I am still all over this like a hawk. My son went out with a group of 4 guys the other night and he called me everytime they got somewhere or were leaving the movies to come home.


Darlene

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Sell crazy some place else, we are all stocked up here.

My first child was 17 by the time she had her first "serious" boyfriend. ds had to wait until at least 16 - but he has not asked. Meanwhile, dd#2 is already asking (she is 12) - but she knows the answer!!

Just stop it!! I don't even want to think about dating! My dd just turned 11 and almost as tall as me! Thank God all the boys are short at this age! But I took out 2 of her friends last week and one of them is so boy crazy that is all the girl talked about.

Then their is my dd 9 year old who already said she kissed a boy...I am like was it on a dare?? And WHO is this boy!

My ds is only 7 but seems to always have something for a girl in his class. He is always bring in or sharing an item with that girl.

I guess I will just have to wait and see...don't really have an "age" for dating.

I could go on "group dates" which was really just friends and us at a movie at 14 but I was only at hand holding stage No "real" date (one on one) until I was 16. I begged to go out 1 month before I turned 16 to a special prom but since we weren't going to go with other kids, it's was a NO. My kids won't date one on one til 16 either. I think it's a good age. I couldn't even wear makeup (including lipstick) until I was 15 so I wouldn't consider allowing my daughter to date before she's allowed to wear makeup

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003