Dating and Teens
Tomorrow, Friday, October 12, 2007, I will speak to the high school students in their assembly. Why? I will because the homecoming dance is about one week away. Mysteries abound for those of you who have not been a part of this four-year tradition. Kind of like Woodstock or ACL - "you have to be there." But, for those of you who may hear rumors of animal metaphors, and red blushes as bright as the sun, we will give you a brief taste. So, this is not our normal "word of the week." But, then again, what's normal when it comes to teens and infatuation?
As we have discussed for four years, we will delve into deep philosophical ideas like dancing poodles and goldfish bowls. But, those topics are reserved for the students who endure the raucous assembly. For our readers, I will give one word of advice. Dating in today's contemporary world is odd. Parents and families at Regents have a wide range of personal understandings. I will not expound my personal preferences, but I will offer one of the metaphors for all of you to consider. And I quote:
"How do we alleviate the stress of the dating scene? Cows. That's right I'm talking bovine. As high school students, go on herd-dates. Many friends go to the mooooooovies together. Why? You do not have to be clever the whole evening, and you can enjoy far less pressure to impress that special girl. Also, you gain from the camaraderie of same-gender friends. Herd together and date as large groups."
So, it is normal, acceptable and recommended to go to the school dance with a lot of your friends. Then you can enjoy the evening with a whole lot of people.
Do you have questions about teens and dating? There are many resources available to Christian parents. One source that we recommend is a book by Bob Barnes called Preparing Your Child for Dating. Parents of pre-teens are not too early to start working on their own family's plan. Our Regents library has one copy of the book. Our library also has copies of Bob's excellent book titled Ready for Responsibility.