actually, most people here answered the question for children - not daughters. The reason there was talk specifically about female children is because of Seun's post. So, there isn't any sexual bias in this discussion yet.

oh yes there is . there's always sexual bias in every topic that has to do with sex/ dating.
female virginity blah blah....

Ok. .. so, other than the posts dealing with Seun's statement, please indicate any which may have shown some sort of sexual bias.

i said "topics" not posts.

I think its ok for both girls and boys to start dating from age 16. But heck who listens to that, kids do start dating from age 9. I shuld know... I started at 8!!!

hey people!
we're talking about children here and not some remote controlled multipurpose machines
there's no hard and fast rules to this dating thing. kids vary and the circumstances also vary.
infact lets ask ourselves, what is dating
it's just a meeting at a particular place and time....
so what the heck are we talking about here?
if your kid wants to go hang with her male friend at age 8 would you say no..besides some kids mature faster than others so you cant just give an age. there are even times we have to say no to even an 18yr old.. i.e if you dont feel right with the date
there no need creating trouble where there's none.. these thing are not as large as we see them.
we are not to be too hard on our kids,nor too lose with them but to carefully guide them to do whats right.
as thier faces vary, so does their personality, so you can't use one method for them even if they are siblings

If my child wants to go some place to meet with a male friend at 8 I would most definitely say: NO. They are to young at that age to understand what's even going on.

A child at 8 is ending the middle childhood age. It's at this time they are at the age of activity. They are eager, restless, adventerous, and experimental. They need supervision at this age. I would not let them go out alone. They will be able to attend little birthday parties and the like but only with adult supervision. There will be no alone time with my daughter or son with another child of the opposite sex unsupervised.

13 maybe?

my little girl is 10 she plays with boys there is one boy she visits at home he is 8 but i don't call him a boy friend and its not a date. He phones to ask if she can come over.
His mum picks her up and brings her home.
He is just a playmate nothing more nothing less.
My second daughter had her period with 11 . Someone here said a girl can date after that .
She is too young to date so she is dating none.
With 13 My daughter had a lot of male friends they were just class mates that used to come over .
Sometimes there will be 3 boys and 4 girls or more .That did not disstub me then for me it was a crowed.
Not every boy a girl goes out with is a date.
But I always advise my kids to pick a boy that is doing something serious and not some bloody dropout.
My daughter is now 17 she started dating with 14 but only dating.
Today i tell her that any man she sleeps with is a potential father of her child . so she better not sleep around. Because if she gets pregnant and keeps the baby she is bound to the man for life even if they don't marry , a decent man will want to still take care of his child.

Dont scream people

I feel 18yrs , i know drastic yes .

My father let me go on my first date at 14yrs, i think his style was too liberal, single dad and all but he tried. I feel i should have been dealt with a little stricter, because , i was going to parties,car at my disposal to take me any where, smoking and and snogging at that age, course he didnt know but, sometimes kids want a tighter rein believe it or not. 14 and allowed to go out with a boy, didnt do me any favours. Thank God i came good with my life cause i would have gone downhill,. Just my opinion.

I think 17 or the last year of high school. I was 17 in my last year & I had to sneak out b/c I wasn't allowed. It was very painful & emotional when I got caught. My mom shamed me w/ all this nonsense talk about sex. I wasn't interested in men/boys for sex or anything like that so it was so unnecessary. I think half the time parents parent w/o thinking about their child's personality etc. And I was so mad b/c I'd only been to a movie -- wouldn't even go to dinner b/c I knew I'd be missed. I don't my kiddies to go t/o this so talking is best. Let them know that maturity comes before mature relationships. And even let them know that not everyone is as mature as they are. Last year of h.s. gives the kid time to spread their wings from the comfort of the nest. Feel me? When they go off to college that's the lion's den. Yes, I've lived to tell the tale. . .

Sorry about that experience. When you are older, she might apologize. Na so so Nigerian parents be.

I still stand on what i said earlier. There's no right age to start dating.

Just guide your kids in the right way, and they'll make the right decisions.

And Btw, some parents are just soo annoying when it comes to their kids talking to the opposite sex. If your daughter isn't talking to a boy on the phone at the age of 14. My dear, u need to check on that girl. If your daughter tells u she's not crushing on any boy at the age of 11. Ask her what her problem is. If your daughter doesn't come to u at 15 to ask u, she wants to go to a movies with a boy, ask her if all is well.

If u don't catch letters from girls in your son's room at age 13, u need to call that boy, and ask him, hunnie, what's going on!!!

Then again, when u say dating, there r different meanings to it. Sha guide ur child well and s/he will know what is right and wrong.

I don't think dating is for "children." maybe when you're in HS it's okay.
You can date as long as there no strings attached. (because you need someone to go to the prom e.t.c w/)

no "real" boyfriends till say freshmen year in college. 17 or 18.
High school is full of so much drama! You'll probably get your heart broken anyways.

@ wesley, i think they consider HS kids as children. The whole point of children here includes 18 yr olds. Cos if doesn't include 18 yr olds, i wonder why some people would say the right age for children to date is 18. Which means 18 yr olds are children. Ya dig?

Then again, u actually make sense when u say 'no strings attached'. But how would ur child know that the person asking him/her out doesn't want strings attached. That's why i say it's better for parents to TALK to their kids, and not just give laws on when to and when not to date.

I agree. But I wouldn't want my mom talking to me about dates (everything else is okay).
If the person asking you out wants stings attached, he/she probably should wait till you get to college. If he/she can't wait, tant pis (too bad).

Who likes "the talk". No one!! But hey, u have to hear it.

If I tell my mom about dates, she probably would start stalking me or something. That creeps me out.
I only told her I had some problems in my math class and she came to my school like 10 times in 2 weeks. That was just plain excessive.

For real??

Eyahh sorry. Not that i get along so well with my dad to tell him everything in details. But he tries he best to help me whenever i tell him stuffs. Abt boys and stuffs in general.

Seun:

Sorry about that experience. When you are older, she might apologize. Na so so Nigerian parents be.

Yes, but I think she's forgotten about it already. I should too I guess. It's as Hot-Angel says. Parents should talk to their children not at them. Parenting should be customized.

My Mum didn't do all those sex talks with me at first because she trusted me unlike my elder sister who is generally thought/known to be wayward. But when she saw a picture I took sitting on a boy's laps (I was 15+) she quickly called me and told me she had made a mistake by not talking to me before. Then the talks began. Hahahahahaha!

As I parent I would base my relationship with my child on communication. I would discuss sex with them from a young age.

If they said they had a boy/girlfriend I would not make a big deal about it,
that just provokes young people to rebel. When you don't pressure your children, your relationship is more open. That way, they would be free to ask any questions and trust you. They would also feel trusted and respected and be less likely yto be swayed by an external party. It's not a big deal.

If my child (male or female) was dating at 13 I wouldn't mind- as long as it was a safe, fun experience (not sex.) I think that it's important for young people to be able to have different kinds of relationships with people of the opposite sex so that they become streetwise and empowered. Through their teenage years I would tell them everything about sex and relationships for knowledge is power.

If you keep your kids on lock they either become vulnerable to the world, or rebellious.

13 to 14

kids hide and date anyways, though its mostly puppy love, nothing serious.

if my pikin near any body before 16, i go beat yeye commot 4 im body !
seriously, kids, espeacially girls, should not be allowed to date until they are at least 16 yrs old.
however, it is important that they can talk to their parents.
when a child is close to his\her parents, they wouldn't want to disapoint them.
They know they can talk to their parent and get sound advice from them.

Personally, i think i would use the tactics my mum did. My mum and never talked about stuff like that after i started my period at the age of 9 but then when i lost my dad, my mum and i started talking then i realized that she didnt mind me having a bf  as long as i knew what i was doing and i knew that she had faith in me to do the right thing. look, that blew me off- the fact that she had faith in me. so i resolved never to let her down. plus i always let her know whats up, no matter what. and then we talk and she tells me "u dont want to do this, u dont want to do that" "but this and this is ok"   and i try to follow her  advice or modify it   in my own way 

My point is, i will not wait for my husband to die b4 i start talking to my kids but i will let them know that no matter the time, when they are ready, i'll be here to talk to them and i'll let them know i trust them to do the right thing and above all, i'll pray to God to lead them  right. 

So yeah, thats what i'll do 

personally i will be more understanding of my children when am a mum.i do not care what age my childrent start dating as long as i no what is going and who they are going out with bcuz The more you tell your childrent don't do does n tat they more they will go against you. than that will end up getting pargent at the age of 15 bcuz they didn't have no one to chat to or ask for advice

sweetrhyme:

personally i will be more understanding of my children when am a mum.i do not care what age my childrent start dating as long as i no what is going and who they are going out with bcuz The more you tell your childrent don't do does n tat they more they will go against you. than that will end up getting pargent at the age of 15 bcuz they didn't have no one to chat to or ask for advice

I love ur style

love that too Rolly!!

4rm 14 perhaps in their time 14 wld be gettin married u can;t tell wat'll happen

This is a real tough topic, however, personally, and like i say, personally, i would love my kids not to even start trading till they are in the university, meaning age of 18 and 19 and Daddy will be on their tail.

$$Rhino:

This is a real tough topic, however, personally, and like i say, personally, i would love my kids not to even start trading till they are in the university, meaning age of 18 and 19 and Daddy will be on their tail.

You sound just like my father. But what daddy doesn't know, won't hurt him.