My Teen Boy is in a Serious Relationship Way Too Young

Young boy sad or crying with his hands covering his face

When a teen starts to get interested in romantic relationships, it can be nerve-wracking for parents. You may wonder if your teen boy is about to step into a serious relationship and if there is anything you can do to help him take a healthy, mature approach to dating, sex and love. No matter what you do, your teen will think they are doing the right things and putting aside almost everything else in favor of their boyfriend or girlfriend. Yuu don’t want him dating too young and too soon.

If your teen boy is in a serious relationship, you may notice a series of behaviors, such as he spends more time with his girlfriend than with anybody else, neglects his friends and family and goes out of his way to bend the rules to be with her. There are many disadvantages to dating so seriously so young. You may find that he is ignoring homework, missing school and even lying to spend more time with his girlfriend. While you want to allow them to spend time together, there are certain things you can do to help ensure that things don’t get too serious too quickly.

 

Communicate

If you haven’t already, make sure you have some time to spend talking to your teen about whatever topic comes up, not just about his relationship. If he feels comfortable talking to you about other topics, it will be easier for him to open up about his new relationship. As you listen, don’t criticize or be judgmental of what your son is telling you. Instead, listen and offer open ended questions and conversation-starting comments. Above all, talk to your son about what a healthy relationship is like so that he can work to achieve that. He will also be able to recognize something faulty and hopefully won’t settle for that.

 

Set Limits

Your son may want to spend all his time with his girlfriend, but as a parent, you’ll need to set limits on them being together. Make sure you encourage your son to pay attention to his friends independent of her. He’ll also need to be encouraged to do the hobbies he once enjoyed, like video gaming or playing a sport. Be clear bout the house rules, like curfews, and be consistent on enforcing consequences if those rules are broken.

 

Encourage Groups

Just because your son may be in a serious relationship doesn’t mean he has to spend all his time with just one person. Help him set up a fun movie night with a bunch of friends and his girlfriend, or offer to take them all to a local amusement center or rec center. The more he spends time with others, the less time he’s spending exclusively with the girlfriend.

 

Prepare for a Breakup

No matter how much your teen son wants it to go on, the serious relationship will end sooner rather than later. It’s always a good idea to keep your teen’s head firmly on the ground when it comes to putting too much personal info on social media. You can warn your teen that he shouldn’t put anything online that he might be embarrassed about. You can also help him gain perspective in the event that the breakup does happen.

No matter how well you handle the news of your son starting to date someone seriously, there are good reasons to not encourage such exclusive dating. Your son has plenty of time to get serious, but you have to walk the fine line between guiding him to be responsible in dating and putting limits on himself concerning his involvement with a new girlfriend.

Request Free Admissions Information

Step 1 of 3 - Your Contact Info

Written by Natalie

24 Feb, 2015

Recent Posts

What is a Group Home for Teens?

What is a Group Home for Teens?

When your teen is struggling, it can be difficult for all family members to know the best ways to interact with them, help them, and guide them towards making the healthiest decisions. A group home may not be something that you've previously considered, particularly...

What is a Motivational School for Teens?

What is a Motivational School for Teens?

Does your teen struggle with behavioral issues? Is your teen son acting aggressive, angry, violent, and more? While getting help for him and other family members, you may have encountered recommendations of sending him to an alternative school. Whether you’ve heard...

Tips for Parents Dealing With Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)

Tips for Parents Dealing With Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)

Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) can be a complicated situation for parents to navigate. This disorder results from a disruption to the all-important bonding process that should take place between children and parents in those early formative childhood years. To...

ADHD: A Parents Guide To Understanding Your Teen

ADHD: A Parents Guide To Understanding Your Teen

Has your teen recently been diagnosed with ADHD? It could be that you’ve spent years with the wrong diagnosis, not getting your child the right type of therapy needed. ADHD can bring several complexities and challenges for parents and everyone in the family. Learning...

9 Ways Parents of Bipolar Teens Can Help

9 Ways Parents of Bipolar Teens Can Help

If your teen has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you may feel overwhelmed as you consider how you can help. Parenting a bipolar teen can be frustrating and stressful. You must take care of your own needs and avoid blaming yourself for the challenging behavior...

You May Also Like…

No Results Found

The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *