GET PERMISSION TO DATE

You're ready to date, but your folks say, "Not until you're eighteen." Hello, that seems like an eternity! Follow these practical pointers from Myjellybean.com for getting your parents to relax their rules.

Try Group Activities

Your mom and dad might not think of group activities with girls and boys as "dates", so take advantage. Ask the ‘rents for permission to go out with a group of friends (to a movie, the mall, a theme park, etc), and make sure your crush is in that group. Voila, you’re on a group date!

Try Inviting Him Over

Ask your parents if you can invite your crush (just call him your "guy friend") to your house one day after school. This way your parents can supervise you as much as they want, so they'll feel in control. Plus, once your folks get to know your crush, they may warm up to the idea of you two hanging out. On his third or fourth time at your place, try asking, "Hey, can we go see a movie?" If your parents insist on driving you - or even coming with you - just say yes. At least they are letting you go out with him!

Try Proving How Grown-Up You Are

Show your parents you’re mature enough to handle a boyfriend and make wise choices. Be a model daughter (if you aren't already) and act as maturely as you know how. Be respectful and don't talk back to your 'rents. Clean up your room before it gets messy, offer to help scrub the dinner dishes, and don't be late for curfew. If you keep it up, your parents will be impressed with your maturity. Then when you ask to date, they are more likely to think you're grown-up enough to trust.

Try Pairing Up at Parties

Take advantage of parties to hang out one-on-one with your crush. If a party doesn't happen by itself, get one of your girlfriends to plan a group get-together and include your crush on the guest list. Bonus points if it's a friend your parents like and trust! Chances are, your parents will give you permission to go, since they'll figure you're safe with parents in the house. At the party, you and your crush can hang out, without doing anything your parents have ruled out.

Try "Bumping Into" Him

You might not be allowed to date your crush, but that doesn't mean you can't "accidentally" (not!) run into him at school, at the library, at after-school hangouts, at the community centre, at the movie theater, at the local coffee house, etc.

Don’t Try Sneaking Around

If you lie (or just "forget" to be honest) in order to date your crush, it is almost 100% sure that you will eventually get caught. If that happens, your parents' trust in you will be broken. You could end up grounded or living under constant scrutiny… meaning you will have even less freedom than you do now! Instead of being sneaky, try the other options in this article. Have a mature talk with your parents. But if they won't budge on their no-dating policy, don't go behind their backs.

Try to Be Patient

If you try absolutely everything and your folks still won't bend their rules, the only healthy reaction is to try to handle their decision calmly and just wait until you're a little older. Your folks are not trying to be mean, they love you and want to protect you from getting too involved with guys before you are ready. And their idea of ready may be different from yours because to them, you are always their little girl. True, it can be hard to wait, but remember, you do have a whole lifetime ahead of you to go out with guys. Try to love your folks for being protective, ‘cause they truly want the best for you.