3
Overly protective parents
may cause problems for the
young couple to build a healthy
relationship. If could cause your
teen difficulties building healthy
romantic relationships, you may
need someone you trust to be
the chaperone.
Break ups could cause parents to resent the other teen
for hurting their son or daughter
because they have been directly
Considerations with Chaper- part of the relationship process.
oning Dates
Decisions, Decisions
There are some considerations Making decisions that will affect
for chaperoning your teens’ dates your teen is hard, but it is importhat are important to think about. tant. God will always lead you
to the appropriate decisions
Here are a few for thought:
for your family. Here are some
Many families have full sched- points to consider:
ules. Taking the time to go
Look into the Bible for God’s
with your son or daughter may
priceless words of wisdom.
mean not taking another child
Pray
asking for the Holy Spirit’s
to an activity. This could breed
guidance.
resentment with siblings.
Sit down with your teen
Work schedules for parents
to look through the Bible
may make it difficult because
together
about seeking a future
only one may be home caring for
children. It may not be possible mate and other related topics he
to go along with your teen on or she may bring up.
Take the time to pray with
their date.
your son or daughter about
dating. Allow him or her to
express themselves to the Lord
with you in prayer. Teens feel
better about the decisions you
make as a parent when they are
involved in the process.
The youth pastor at your
church is also a great
resource. He may be able to
point you to some great parenting websites and books on the
subject of teen dating.
Talk to other parents of youth
at your church. What are they
doing to help their teens protect
their hearts? Could you build a
support network with parents of
a similar mindset? Weight out
notion of being under a watchful
eye still exists, but a number of
young people believe they have
enough room to learn about
each other safely (IBLP, 2014).
Whether direct or marginal
involvement during our teens’
dates, they should always feel
we are their safety net, their support, instead of a noose around
their necks.
1
2
4
1
2
3
4
5
the positives and negatives, then
decide what to keep.
How did your parents handle
your dating? What would you
put into practice and what would
you change?
Has your teen shown trustworthiness in other areas?
How does he or she behave
with friends and members of the
opposite sex?
If you have an unruly teen,
what would you consider a
safe dating situation for him or
her? What are the attitudes and
behaviors that concern you?
What would need to change for
them to earn your trust to date
solo or with a group?
What is your family situation?
If you believe chaperoning is
the right thing for you to do, what
obstacles would you need to
deal with? What changes would
you need to change to make for
this to happen?
0 Have you examined your
own heart regarding attitudes
you may have which could cause
resentment in your child? Are
you fearful, controlling, overly
doting, or trying to live through
your child’s life? If so, how would
you adopt a healthy approach to
your son or daughter’s dating?
Should you have another
responsible adult accompany
their dates?
6
7
8
9
1
Whatever decision you make
about how to help your son or
daughter sail through the dating
years, your love and care for
them will certainly stand out.
This can be a great time to
build a stronger bond with your
teen. More importantly, they will
see the light of the Lord shine
through your wisdom drawing
them closer to Him, and possibly
to a future godly mate.