What should I discuss with my child about dating?

What should I discuss with my child about dating?

Charles Sophy (Private Practice in Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) gives expert video advice on: At what age is dating appropriate for children?; How can I ensure my child's safety during dates? and more...

The things to discuss with your child before they begin the process of dating are built on the building blocks of the foundation you built at the age of three and four and five. Such issues as how to handle themselves, what their manners are, how to reach for help when they need help, what kinds of things they should do, what kinds of things will show them that they do need help, what is a dangerous situation, how safety comes first and those kinds of things. And it builds itself so that when they're eight and nine and they're going to someone's house, their table manners and cleaning up after themselves and saying please and saying thank you. To when you drop them off out, you call me or you do whatever. And it keeps evolving itself to the point where when you put the key in that ignition, you know that this is what you're doing and you're not drinking and make sure there's a designated driver and to put your seatbelt on. So it keeps building and it should start early on.