Ready or not, as your teen enters middle school and high school, they will begin to navigate a world of new emotional and sexual interests. You can set your teen up for success by both teaching and demonstrating what healthy romantic relationships look like.
Sometimes, teens lose sight of what respect, caring, and trustworthiness look like in a healthy romantic relationship. We want to help teens understand how to respect and care for their partner’s feelings and opinions, respect for their own body, and make good decisions that build trust rather than diminish it. It is also important for your teen to respect the rules of dating you set as a parent. Complete the activity below to help your teen understand what each of the Six Pillars of Character looks like in a positive relationship.
Activity
Ask your teen what each pillar of character looks like in a healthy relationship.
- What does trustworthiness look like in healthy relationship?
- Respect?
- Responsibility?
- Fairness?
- Caring?
- Citizenship? (It is hard to define what citizenship looks like in a healthy relationship. One example is to think about how a relationship impacts other people. Is the relationship impacting others in a negative way or positive way?)
Then, ask your teen what it looks like if the pillars of character are not present in a relationship.
Finally, if you are married or have a romantic partner, this is a perfect time to discuss how you are demonstrating a healthy romantic relationship and what you could work on in your quest to set a good example.
