question

My son is only 13 months so I’m guessing it’ll change when he’s older but rn I can’t imagine him dating. I’d for sure say 16 or older which is the same id say for a daughter. My mom told me 16 or older so I feel like I’ll keep that age limit for my son. I don’t feel like there should be a difference in dating limit for daughters or sons

that’s just a recipe for them doing things behind your back🤦🏻‍♀️

@Emma i just haven't heard of boys having a dating limit. i think it should be the same for sons and daughters as well.

I haven't even thought about it yet as my boys ate only 1 and 2 to be thinking about dating yet is a bit absurd, in my opinion. I understand other mums do just not for me at the moment xx

Never really thought about it but my mum said 16 and that worked fine with my siblings and I. I’d have the same expectations for my son as my daughter, focus on school until 16 then do what you want.

My mom never really had a age limit but she would tell us she didn’t want us to be exclusive. She was open to us going on dates or hanging out but she thought anything before 18 was too much, she wanted our focus to be ourselves and school. Of course we came to her and told her when people asked us out or wanted more and she would just remind us about our priorities and said as long as it wasn’t a distraction from what mattered it was up to us (after 16 usually) she also made it very clear that relationships were hard work and not something to be taken lightly so we usually steered clear cuz it’s so much responsibility

My son is almost 17 he’s not had a girlfriend yet but if he did at this point I’d be perfectly fine with it, he’s old enough now

My perspective/unpopular opinion: My parents were quite strict/manipulative/couldn’t hang out with boys until I was xyz. Thinking back now I put myself in some pretty dangerous situations as a teenager behind their back in fear of being punished or reprimanded. I also cut contact with my parents since 2021…JS From my perspective I’d rather have those conversations regarding safety, safe sex etc and have my kids be able to come to me about anything rather than imposing limits on them when their peers might be allowed to do things and have them put themselves in unsafe situations. Do I want them to be having bf/gf at 13yo? Not necessarily, but I’d rather be the safe space for my children. And I have 2 boys and a girl - any boundaries etc would still apply to both 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Jodie That’s my thoughts! I was told no boys etc etc so I did shit behind my parents backs. Setting an age limit is old school and low-key controlling and gross 😅

@Sharnee THISSS. Some shady ass shit… no thankssss my kids can “date” there will be expectations and limitations but not outright denials and they can throw in their opinion and change my mind. It’s about communication not control…

OP, you have a good point. When I was a kid, me and my sister couldn’t date until 16, but our brother started in junior high, way earlier. It was almost encouraged.

Never! Lmao...jk

My daughter is 15 and my son is 13. They can date but I’m not going to enable it. This also goes for if they decide to work while in school. They need to focus on school. They have a boyfriend/girlfriend great. But don’t expect me to be a taxi cab driving you back and forth to see them and do not expect me to be okay with you staying out past 6:30 on school nights. You want to go out on a weekend? I’m totally okay with that as long as school work is done and your responsibilities at home are taken care of. It’s all about priorities to me. If you can’t handle your responsibilities then you’re not mature enough to date. And if your boyfriend really cares about you then he’ll understand the importance of you being successful in school. My son is not dating yet but my daughter is. She is on the phone 24/7 texting this boy. The second it starts affecting her sleep or school the phone is gone. And it has before.

When he is of an age where he can be responsible, he can have female friends but l prefer him to not rush these things,

i think it’s better to educate about relationships instead of putting a ban on them until a certain age

In my opinion, sons should be held to the same standard of readiness: emotionally, spiritually, and practically, before entering a relationship. While some parents set a specific age, like 16 or 18, others, like myself, coming from a faith-based perspective, focus more on whether their son demonstrates responsibility and godly character. I understand that not all parents approach this from a biblical standpoint, and that’s okay. In that case, I’d say if your son understands how to respect women, is committed to staying away from sexual temptation, and shows responsibility, then allowing him to date can be reasonable. Just make sure to have clear boundaries and rules in place within your household when they spend time together.