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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My 13 year old DS (will be 14 this summer) recently became very interested in a girl (he is at an all boys school; she is at an all girls school).

He is in 7th grade.

What is normal in terms of dating/getting together?  They have met at a few dances, and the mall. Always with other friends.

Seriously not looking to micromanage, and he is a good kid, just wondering what the normal dating progression is these days?  When do you allow your teems to go to things just the two of them, like a movie or something similar?

Thanks![/quote]

Don't worry too much about this.  Kids move at really different paces with dating.  It isn't wrong for your DS to want to date at 13 any more than it is wrong for someone's DS to not date until college.  A dogmatic decrees of "no dating" or "only group dates" just push your kid to lie about this and hide it.  Plus, it pushes up the "danger/risk taking" factor of the activity, which is more likely to lead to them to make poor choices generally.

Is your kid actually asking to go alone?  If so, then I think you are probably due for some of the conversations consent and relationship ethics.

I also think that you can try to (as gently as possible) help him have a good date by keeping it low-key.  Generally, kids at this age don't really have a great sense of what makes a good date, namely that they should actually be fun.  You don't want your kid trying to parrot some movie or TV show's grand romantic gesture or thinking that going to the most expensive restaurant he can will make for a really impressive date.  But be careful about giving specific suggestions for fear of poisoning the well with uncool, old people vibes. [/quote]

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