I'm still free (original) (raw)
At what age do you think kids should start dating? How old were you when you went on your first date? Was there anything you would change about the experience? How do you think it shaped your expectations?
I think many "kids" will know when they are ready. However, when I become a parent, I probably will not let me children date until high school. In the early teen years, 13, 14, kids are so young and they barely know themselves. I think at that age it's more important to get to know yourself, rather than get to know someone else.
I was 20 when I went on my first date, unless you count high school proms with boys I never even talked to again. On what I consider my first date, I went to a get ice cream and saw a movie with a boy. The experience was overall good, I think. We were able to talk, he put his arm around me, he walked me to my car and held my hand. Then where the disaster happened. He tried to kiss me and by tried I mean he missed. How do you miss someone's lips, I don't know, haha. Anyway, after that I saw him a few more times, no more kiss attempts, he made me watch wrestling and then he dumped me. To change the experience, I think I would not have tried so hard. To me it felt like life and death if the relationship worked out because I had never had one before and I so wanted to be in a relationship. However, I think that this experience did help shape my expectations. It taught me to take things slow and not to push boys so hard. I wanted to let him know that he could touch me and kiss me and I think that I didn't need to. I should have just backed off and let him take his time, but I was impatient. I wanted to kiss and makeout and all that good stuff. I wanted a fling, some experience, so I would be ready for a more serious relationship. In retrospect, I am so glad that none of this happened! From this, I learned my lesson and in my next possible relationship, I did take it more slowly. I was still impatient, but I wanted a relationship this time and not just a fling. I guess I sort of knew that my current boyfriend wanted something serious too. Anyway, I guess it turned out ok because we've been dating 11.5 months. :)