Teen Dating

One of my biggest regrets about my teenage years is knowing so little about teen dating. Especially in middle school and the early years of high school, I never had the courage to ask a girl out on a date. I was always too worried about being rejected or looking stupid or being made fun of and as a result it wasn't until the middle of high school that I realized what I was missing out on.

1. Don't Fear Rejection - As I now know, it isn't worth fearing rejection. If a girl (or a business or a friend) rejects you, learn from the situation and stay motivated. Any hurt that arises from rejection quickly goes away with time, but the pain of regret will stay with you your whole life. Never look back and wonder why you didn't act and if you'll get another chance, just ask the girl out!

2. Keep It Simple - It is very common to think that a date has to be going out with the person you love in some big romantic gesture. But it's not. A date is just a simple and easy way to better get to know someone you are interested in. A simple "Hey, want to go get ice cream with me on Saturday?" or "Hi Sue, let's go ice skating" work just fine. Easy as that.

3. Make It a Group Date - Bring friends along! Oftentimes it is likely that you or the girl will feel uncomfortable if it is just the two of you going out. Bringing friends along relieves a lot of the social pressure, you have your friends to keep things interesting and comfortable, and your friends may even end up dating one of your girl's friends.

4. No Obligations - Don't feel obligated to go on a second date or to kiss your date if you aren't interested. Do whatever you feel comfortable with and everything will go fine.

For more basic date information, visit the Dating section.

The next step after Teen Dating - Teen Relationships.

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