“Of course it will probably be uncomfortable for both of you,” Anthony says.“But if he’s so uncomfortable that he gets angry or shuts down or otherwise just can’t continue the conversation, that’s a big sign that he’s not ready for this.” If so, assure your child that there’s no hurry to start dating. Resiliency, self-respect, self-esteem, confidence, perseverance, and wisdom are the things to focus on instilling in your children, as these things will both help them to avoid pain and to recover from it quickly.

This will help them remember what they have to live for when they get hurt. But it’s important to remember that they do still need you now and this is a normal development phase of the teen years.There are also things you can do to make dating easier for both of you.What breaks my heart is to hear young women and men think that their lives are over when someone breaks up with them or doesn’t love them in return.The music they listen to is full of codependent messages with variations on the theme, “I can’t live without you.”The truth is that they live without someone else.