You knew this day was coming eventually, you just have thought it would not arrive as fast as it did. Your little girl has grown up very quickly and she announced to you that she was going on her first date tonight. After the initial shock hit your system and the feelings of a heart attack began to subside, you need to deal with the situation as best as you possibly can. You want this day to be memorable for her without pushing you to have a stroke or to commit an act of violence against the long-haired boy standing in your doorway. Here are a few tips for you so that you can handle your daughter going on her first date.

• Before the Date – You may not want to sound like the typical overbearing, overprotective parent that everyone sees on television or in the movies, but you do want to take some basic steps as precautions before the date occurs. Sit down with your daughter and explain to her what your expectations are for the evening and have a straight and honest talk with her about romance, safety and sex. You might also want to take the opportunity to meet the boy beforehand or talk to him on the phone so you can gain some perspective as to how he is.

OCFIAT10-2

Ease Your Anxiety – It is only natural that you are going to be anxious as a parent at this point, but your daughter is probably anxious about the situation as well. You fretting over everything will not make that any easier for either of you, so try to keep things in perspective. Remember that you went through this same process yourself at some point in your life and you got through it just fine and your daughter will as well.

Anxiety mental health symbol isolated on white. Mental disorder icon design

Anxiety mental health symbol isolated on white. Mental disorder icon design

The Big Day – Date night has arrived and he is at the door. Do your best to remain as calm as possible throughout this time and after they leave. Let your daughter know that you hope she has a good time on her date and show her that you have complete trust in her and her judgment and that you respect that she is growing up and is going to have this private part of her life. After she leaves, you may want to find something for yourself to do for the evening to help keep your mind off of things so you are not constantly worrying about her. You may want to run to the door when she comes home and bombard her with questions, but give her space and wait until morning to ask how it all went.

Once you manage to get through the first date things will start to get easier from there. Resign yourself to the fact that this is part of your life now and there are going to be boyfriends that you like and those you do not, but the choices and decisions are going to be hers. You may want to think about getting yourself a newer car from www.ocfiat.com to help you deal with everything. You may find a great new car from http://www.ocfiat.com that can be ideal with a GPS system and all of the bells and whistles you need to help you keep a close eye on some these dates.