HOW CAN I MAKE MY PARENTS LET ME HAVE A BOYFRIEND?

Q.    No matter what I do my parents won’t let me date.  How can I make my parents  let me have a boyfriend?

Phyllis replied:

You can’t “make” your parents do anything, and if you try to force the issue, they’ll probably dig their heels in even deeper.  I don’t know how old you are, but I would suggest that you begin by showing that you are mature and responsible enough in other ways.  Tell them the truth about what you and your friends are up to, be home when you’ve promised to come in, do your part in chores about the house, take good care of younger siblings.  If none of this seems to help, calmly ask your parents when they are in a receptive mood just what you need to do to convince them that you are old enough to have a boyfriend.  They may prefer that you invite a small group over instead, the boy you like included, so they can get to know your friends and your potential boyfriend in advance.  Sometimes parents are  more afraid of the idea of your having a boyfriend than they are of a particular boy, once they meet him.