What age do people usually start dating?

[Ineedanswers]

What’s a good age to start dating?  If you had kids at what age would you allow them to start dating? In my country it’s around 16

[Yarco]

Depends what you consider "dating". Around 10 years old there were some kids at my school in "puppy love", basically they think they're boyfriend/girlfriend, hold hands at recess, kids start to have crushes. But usually they are together one recess and "broken up" the next.

Around 12 -13 kids can start to have some concept of "going steady", being exclusive and can maybe start to have some semblance of long-term relationships, go on dates to the movies together.

Around 16 - 18 kids are starting to get the maturity to really explore the meaning of relationships, their sexuality, and other stuff. Kids at this age might be willing to make sacrifices for their partner, and discuss big decisions like whether they'll stay together when they go away for college or not.

It's really like an ever-increasing spectrum. At 13 I thought I was super mature, I did at 16, 18, 20, 25 as well... in retrospect I was a dumb kid, but it's all part of learning and growing.

[soos_mite_ah]

Honestly, I'd let my kids date whenever and not have any hard rules when it comes to dating and having sex. I want to be flexible so that my kids feel like they can come to me with problems so they don't end up in toxic/dangerous situations and if they do, they have an adult guiding them.

I think over all, a lot of kids start dating around 12/13 but a lot of the dating at that time is literally just taking to the opposite sex, holding hands, hanging out after school, and maybe the occasional kiss. Like, can you even call that actual dating lol. But to those kids, that shit feels real and understandably so given their life experience (not trying to talk down to them or anything). I don't think there is any set right age to start dating, everyone becomes ready in their own time (I don't want to say mature in their own time because I know plenty of girls who started dating when they were around 19/20 and they weren't any less mature compared to girls who started earlier).

But if I were to put a number, I'd say 17-20. I probably have a bias because of my experiences but I feel like anything earlier is a little pointless a lot of the time and there isn't that much difference than say starting dating at 14 than 17 other than that starting at 14 might be messier and pettier. 

Edited October 6, 2021 by soos_mite_ah

[hamedsf]

the conventional 17-18 age consent is much better.