Talking to your parents about dating can be difficult, especially if you haven’t done it before. However, the great thing about college is that you don’t have to tell your parents about every date you go on. Now is the time for you to go out and explore your options. It’s also perfectly normal if you aren’t going out on dates every weekend. There is no right way to go about dating.
When you do decide you want to talk to your parents about dating or a significant other, you must wait until the right moment; timing is key. Make sure that your partner is ready to be the topic of discussion during your next family dinner. If they feel uncomfortable about it or don’t want you to, they are probably not ready to get as serious about this relationship as you are.

Once they are ready to be discussed, you’ll want to have this conversation with just your parents, not the rest of your family. Aunts, uncles and cousins will make this discussion much more difficult than it already is. You also don’t want to make a big deal about it. You’re a mature adult now, so you want to tell your parents confidently about your decision. Even if you’re not telling them about one special person, but rather that you’re just playing the field, you want to speak confidently. Make it a small but mature chat.

If your parents aren’t happy about the news, don’t get upset, that will only give them another reason why they don’t think you’re ready to date. Simply ask them why they feel that way and ask what you can do to prove you’re ready to date.

Ultimately, this is your love life and no one else’s, so you don’t need anyone’s approval to date. If your parents are happy about it, that’s great; if they aren’t, that’s okay too. Keep dating and do what you need to do to prove you are mature and responsible enough to have a relationship.

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