When To Date How old should a child be before he or she is old enough to date. This is a question with many differing answers. My daughter talks a lot about boys right now, but she really doesn t have the maturity to be pursuing anybody at this point, said Janet Webb, mother. Every child matures at a unique pace, making it difficult to pinpoint one age in particular as the right age begin dating. Most parents settle on 15 to 16 years-old for the first date.
Studies reinforce parents intuition.
While parents were focusing on the sociological aspects of maturity, important neurological developments occur at this age as well. The brain s late developing frontal lobe, which governs attentiveness, impulse control, and planning, becomes fully mature around age 16. One thing that they could do is take a look at those abilities, planning, attentiveness and impulse control, in other situations, said Dr. Nick Defilippis. Teens who possess these traits may be ready for the responsibility of dating. As kids hit middle school, many parents begin hearing terms that may seem a bit foreign.