Education
Our topic today – our takes on courtship and dating - might be considered a bit controversial by some! You may recall an early episode of the podcast in which we talked about our own history involving this topic, and if you did hear that episode, then you may also remember that we have a pretty unique story of how Jesse and I ended up in a relationship together and how we had strict courtship rules set by our parents. We are going to dive into this in this episode and reveal how we plan to approach this with our own kids. We received a question from a listener recently asking us if we allow our older kids to date, which is what inspired us to do a podcast episode focused on this topic, and as Jesse puts it, we prefer to see ourselves as sources of guidance for our kids rather than as dictators, and with that being said, while we realize that this may come as a surprise to some of you, we actually do not have rules about dating. What we instead do is have conversations with our kids rather than lay down hard and fast rules. Children need to learn how to make good decisions for themselves, and as I discuss in my book Love-Centered Parenting, it's so important to love our kids in such a way that we are leaning into them and listening to them, doing our best to understand their emotions and their struggles. We should, after all, be raising kids so that they can become adults as opposed to perpetually dependent children. I hope that this episode was helpful for you in one way or another! Please reach out to me as I love hearing from you, and be sure to tune in next time! In This Episode: [0:32] – Today's topic is courtship and dating! [2:20] – We learn what's saving Jesse's life this week. [5:42] – I reveal that we recently got a new stroller which has been saving my life lately! [8:28] – You can get the double stroller that we bought for a relatively low price on Amazon! [9:48] – Jesse just finished Black Ice by Brad Thor. [10:58] – I just finished re-reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio. [12:55] – I share an email and an iTunes review sent in by listeners. [15:40] – Jesse offers a funny tip about listening to podcasts at a certain speed. [17:32] – We dive into the main topic – courtship vs. dating. [19:58] – I argue that teenagers are more apt to listen if parents have conversations with them as opposed to just laying down rules. [22:45] – Teenagers, I point out, tend to live in the moment and not look to the future. [25:22] – I point out that each and every child is different and cannot be placed into molds. [27:40] – We have tried to perfect the art of stoicism as parents. Links and Resources: Crystal Paine Crystal Paine on Instagram Crystal Paine on Twitter crystal@moneysavingmom.com Money Saving Mom Money Saving Mom on Facebook Money Saving Mom Deal Seekers Facebook group Love-Centered Parenting The Crystal Paine Show – Episode 5: Courtship Rules and Our First Kiss The Crystal Paine Show - Episode 129: My System for Keeping on Top of Emails The Crystal Paine Show - Episode 136: Don’t Miss Out on This Superpower! (with Jeannie Cunnion) Graco Ready2Grow LX 2.0 Double Stroller, Clark Brad Thor – Black Ice R.J. Palacio - Wonder