Making Lemonade Dating Column

Parental Dating Guidelines

• Make sure you know a lot about any new person before inviting him/her into your home.
• Make friends before considering a romantic relationship.
• Always introduce new adults to your children as friends, nothing more.
• If your children are old enough to have opinions of your new friends, listen to what they have to say.
• Do not pressure your children to like your new friend, or to spend time with him or her.
• Insist that your children behave appropriately and politely to your adult friends.
• Have regular family discussions with your children.
• If you want to get serious with a date, find out his or her feelings about children, especially your children, first.
• Gradually introduce a new date to your children by doing family oriented activities together.
• Give your children and your date a chance to develop their own relationships.
• Don't sacrifice your children's alone time with you to your dating. Don't miss sport or school events in order to date.
• Don't share inappropriately with your children.
• Do not use them as "confidantes" for your relationship confusion or problems.
• Don't allow them to find out about your sexual relationship.