My Forsyth _ Spring 2023
Women in Business, Homeownership, Finances, Food, Health & Wellness, and Architecture are just a few of the articles you'll find in the latest issue of your community magazine. Sit back and enjoy. Happy reading!
Women in Business, Homeownership, Finances, Food, Health & Wellness, and Architecture are just a few of the articles you'll find in the latest issue of your community magazine. Sit back and enjoy. Happy reading!
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The Reality of Teen Dating<br />
By Jeff Mogan<br />
Acouple of weeks ago I was asked to give a talk<br />
at one of our awesome high schools here in<br />
<strong>Forsyth</strong> County. I wasn’t sure exactly what the conversation was<br />
going to be about; I just knew that when teenagers want to learn a<br />
better way of doing life, I am always up to engage with them on how<br />
to get there. On the way to the school, I made a call to ask exactly<br />
what the topic of our discussion would be.<br />
“Teen Dating,” the person on the other end of the phone replied. I<br />
began to think of the best way to convey to a 15- or 16-year-old how<br />
to properly date, if the option to have them not date at all was not<br />
an option.<br />
I look at these conversations with an open mind. If I tell the teens, or<br />
their parents or teachers tell them not to date, they will do it without<br />
telling us. That is not a good option. Instead, I tell teens that there<br />
are things that need to be discussed before starting to date.<br />
The first word that comes to mind when talking about teen dating is<br />
boundaries. Setting clear and realistic boundaries is something we<br />
definitely want to teach our youth.<br />
There were around 25 kids in the group I spoke to, and when I asked<br />
how many were dating, about half the group raised their hands. I<br />
then asked how many have set boundaries in their minds when they<br />
are with someone. No one raised their hands.<br />
Once I started talking about boundaries, the questions started<br />
flowing, the minds opened up, and there was clear intention in all of<br />
their minds that they had never thought of before.<br />
Here are some of the boundaries I suggested.<br />
• If you are not dating someone, but are seen alone with that<br />
person, what will other people think when they see the two of<br />
you alone, together. Perhaps don’t be alone with someone<br />
even if they are a friend, as other people will automatically<br />
think you are dating.<br />
• Date in groups. Groups leave no questions unanswered. There<br />
is strength in numbers.<br />
• Avoid co-dependency. This topic drew the most attention<br />
from the group. The topic of co-dependency is always a bit<br />
confusing. The definition of codependency is “excessive<br />
emotional or psychological reliance on a partner, typically<br />
one who requires support on account of an illness or<br />
addiction”. For me, co-dependency is pouring yourself into<br />
someone else to be sure they are getting what they need to<br />
be happy, doing for them and their needs, so they will be<br />
happy with you, at the expense of taking care of yourself and<br />
your own needs.<br />
Teenagers will make sure their friends are happy by giving too much<br />
of themselves while in turn hurting themselves to the point they are<br />
overwhelmed. They often do this with their parents as well.<br />
As parents we put too much pressure on our teens to do as we say, so<br />
they look for people either older than them or among their friends<br />
to validate or accept them for who they are.<br />
It's important to be available to our teens, to engage with them about<br />
their feelings or their actions, so that they understand that we accept<br />
them for who they are.<br />
I’m not saying we should accept what they are doing and be ok with<br />
all of their actions. I believe that we should be willing to listen to<br />
them and their feelings.<br />
Listening and being a good listener are successful ways to be engage<br />
in productive communication. Sometimes it is best to just listen,<br />
don’t give advice unless asked, just listen.<br />
42 MYFORSYTHMAG.COM SPRING <strong>2023</strong>