"This two part series explores the key differences between the dating game a decade and more ago, and the dating behaviors of today’s teenagers."



An Introduction to Teen Dating Advice for the Modern Parent






The dating landscape has shifted like a mudslide over Route 66 and is virtually indistinguishable from its natural layout as little as 10, 20 years ago. Remember how your boyfriends used to show up at your front door to take you on a date with his hair parted and slicked down? Or how you used to run to the kitchen every time the telephone rang? Well, now the way teens approach dating is as different as a Pinto wagon and an SUV. Even the concept of
dating has changed! Going steady? Ask your teen what that phrase means and they will probably stare at you like a deer in the headlights. The difference between dating today and when you were a hotrod is so extreme that the teen dating advice you provide for your kids can prove to be, let’s say, antique, as good as your intentions might be. For this reason, it’s so important that you get up to speed on the new dating terrain and the kind of
teen dating advice that will steer your kids down what could be a very slippery slope.

 
Parenting Teens: Teen Dating Advice for the 21^st Century





So, what are the rules of the road in dating today? How are kids meeting what they think is their “dream date?” What is involved in courting? At what stage in the relationship do they think it is appropriate to become intimate? What teen dating advice can you provide to better prepare your kids for the new dating landscape? These are all questions that parents of teens might need answers to in order to keep from spinning their wheels when their teens start dating. And since love and the discovery and exploration thereof are core components of maturing, the right teen dating advice is essential. Here are some important things you need to know about millennial dating:

 
1.
Teen Dating Advice: Kids date in groups

What ever happened to one-on-one dating? Today, most teens meet and date people in groups. The group itself isn’t necessarily a problem – after all, developing friendships and being social is very healthy for your teen – but this can result in high-octane peer pressure. If your teen is surrounded by friends that are speeding towards in questionable behaviors, such as drinking, smoking and sex, chances are they are going to be run off course in some way by their friends…or worse, the girl or guy they are crazy over. You think peer pressure is big? It is nothing compared to the influence of the BF or GF. This is where good teen dating advice keeps those little spark plugs from misfiring! Clear the fog and help them see the reality that they will always be exposed to people who steer towards behaviors and habits that are unhealthy and often age-inappropriate. Explain to your kids that they should never feel pressured into doing things they aren’t comfortable with, but be firm about your expectations with regards to drinking, smoking, sex and other socially-induced habits.

 
2.
Teen Dating Advice: Sex in the Afternoon




There’s something incredibly seductive about the moonlight, the stars, the dark velvety night… Or at least you thought so. But many teens are using the afternoon to rev their engines and accelerating over the boundary lines. Why? The hours between the last school bell and when many parents get home from work is when “the garage is still empty.”
Parenting teens research surveys have found most sexual activity between teenagers to occur between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00. What teen dating advice you can provide to discourage your kids from sneaking behind your back? Encourage them to be honest with you about their relationships and keep an open road to healthy communication. The bottom line is, when teens are bored or without parental eyes, they have a tendency to drift over that solid line that they know they shouldn’t cross.
Very few teens engage in risky behavior in math class. It’s the hours alone where we should post the giant “HAZARD” sign.

 
Stay Tuned for More Teen Dating Advice:




In my next article post, I will be explaining how the dating landscape has changed over the years so that those parenting teens may provide their kids with better and more appropriate 
teen dating advice.