Dworin, 38, a mother of three and a former parenting magazine editor, blogs about the quirky journey of her Lutheran family: Dan, 39; Janine, 11; Ben, 8; Jillian, 5; and Harpo and Louis, circus-sized poodles, at www.thelutheran.org/blog/parenting.
Before they pull out of the driveway, teenagers hear a ton of “don’ts” from their parents. Don’t drive too fast. Don’t break curfew. Don’t get too cozy together in the backseat of the car.
But what about the things they should do when they’re out on a date?
When parents focus on the don’ts of dating, they undervalue the most important lesson young people can learn from this experience: how to relate to another person in healthy, one-on-one terms. It’s a critical skill for today’s teenagers to practice.
Parents help set a higher view of dating when they emphasize three must-have skills for teenagers to learn as boyfriends or girlfriends.
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