Simple rules for successful dating

By Staff
Michelle Blaylock, Mom's Corner
I’m sure you’ve heard of the “8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter.” Well, this week I started thinking about it and decided I would share with you what I think girls should think about when dating.
Number 1: Don’t date anyone you wouldn’t consider marrying. No, seriously. Why would you want to date someone you wouldn’t consider marrying? Don’t give yourself the chance to fall in love with someone with whom you don’t want to spend the rest of your life.
Number 2: When my Mother was growing up my Grandmother had a saying: “Don’t drink. Don’t smoke. Don’t chew. Don’t go with guys who do.” Well, we need to expand that a little. Basically, if the guy you’re dating thinks getting drunk, high, wasted, stoned, etc. is cool, funny, or a great time, dump him and run in the opposite direction. He is trouble in the making. This is one of those guys you wouldn’t want to marry.
Number 3: Does he have good grades? “Why does that matter?” you ask. If he doesn’t care enough to maintain his grades, he might not care enough to keep a job.
Number 4: What are his goals for life? Is he going to be able to help you live the life you want to live? Are his goals compatible with your life goals? No, I’m not kidding. If you want to live in a big city, and have a high paced career, but his goals are to live in a small town and have a slow paced easy going career; your marriage will never make it. Why set yourself up for a heartbreak?
Number 5: How does he dress? I don’t mean he has to have top of the line name brand clothes. I mean are his clothes clean. Does he take care of his personal hygiene? This isn’t about how much money he has or his parents have. It is about taking pride in himself.
Number 6: Money isn’t everything. If you are only dating a guy to get him to buy you stuff, don’t. It is rude and demeaning and you need to think about what kind of person you are. It’s just as bad as a guy dating a girl just to get in her pants! You need to be able to enjoy just spending time with him; watching a movie at home or doing other low cost or no cost activities. However, it is also important for him to have goals, too. Refer to number 4.
Number 7: If he wants to have sex, tell him “no.” Yes, I believe in abstinence before marriage. It will save you a whole bunch of worry! If you don’t “play around,” you do not have to worry about STDs, babies, getting a reputation you do not want, etc. Also, if you already have had pre-martial sex, it does not mean you have to continue the practice. It is a mature person who knows he or she has made a bad choice, realizes it, and does not repeat it.
Number 8: Perhaps most importantly, you do not have to have a man! It drives me nuts when I hear women, especially young girls, say “I need a man to take care of me.” or “I need a boyfriend.” Here is what I think about that: Men are like puppies. They like to chew on things. They don’t always pee where they should. They make a lot of noise and take up a lot of your time. Men, like puppies, are fun to have around, can be nice to play with, but, when push comes to shove, you don’t really have to have one. We can take care of ourselves. If you can’t take care of yourself — learn!
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