Teenage Boys and Dating???

I think it is a very reasonable age to start dating. Just make sure they are supervised and be there for him when he gets his heart broken for the first time. You sound like you are doing a great job, just remember to be there for him and keep the lines of communcation open.

Suggest that he visit with other people in groups, instead of dating. Friends getting together with other friends, instead of just one-on-one. This will be the time in my daughter's lives that I will wish that chaperoning can still be enforced. This is also the time to start talking about dating etiquette, moral standards such as wait until marriage, etc. etc. Find out why he wants to date, and who. Insist that you meet the person he wants to date.

Every family is different when it comes to what you feel is appropriate or not. It's a very personal family decision. The bottom line is, remember back to when you were that age...did you follow all the rules? I think what is most important is instilling the fact that they can come to you and talk about ANYTHING at all. You can teach them what you feel is right or wrong, but at the end of the day, they need to know that even if they've broken a rule, they can still come to you and tell you, without fear of being grounded for life. Good luck! My son is only 2 1/2, and I already dread teenage years!!!

I don't have any experience with teenagers. Just go with your gutt feeling all kids are different they mature at different intervals. I guess one way to look at it how old were you when you started to date. Make sure the child nows the consequences of there own actions. And always be there for them to talk to. I was heart broken at 16 and my mom talked to me for days about it. Good Luck I have at least 11 years to go before the dating scene

Wow! First of all, good for you to accept such a challenge with all those boys! I myself grew up in a family of 6 kids and was permitted to date at 16. Yes, every family has different standards, but I agree completely with Diane. This is the time to encourage Jake to see dating as an opportunity to make friends with many girls and learn how to interact with the opposite sex in responsible respectful ways. My mom always sat and talked with me about my "dates" and we discussed what were good qualities in the guys I dated and what I should be careful of as well. You might not have that talkative relationship yet, but if you stay involved and interested in who and why he is dating, he will learn to date for the right reasons.
I was raised in a pretty conservative home: taught to wait until marriage, be modest in the way I dress, and respect a curfew (though that one wasn't always easy!). Still, because my mom (my parents were divorced and both remarried) stayed involved in teaching me correct principles, many years later I found my wonderful husband. I know that going out in groups and focusing on developing friendships and personal character when I was younger is what allowed me to find such a great partner eventually. All the best to you!

I've been pretty lucky so far with Jordan, he mostly hangs out with girls in group settings. He has a lot of female friends so it is hard to know when it's more than friends. I was so upset to find out he had a girlfriend in 8th grade and hadn't told me. Luckily his friends feel comfortable talking to me! So I get info from then. After that I did tell him I wanted to know what was going on in his life and he's been a lot more open to me. I do ask a lot of questions though. Like if he's texting one girl more than any other (which is happening now) I askif he's interested in her. So I'm mainly trying to keep the lines of communication open.

Often times he says, "I'm going to go hang out with *insert girl's name here*" but I make him give me an actual plan. Where are they going and when will he be back. Will anyone else be with them? I don't want to find out that "hanging out" was actually him going to her house with no adult around...as I did as a teenager...which is why I have an almost 16 year old... LOL