Mike Farris:
Like many homeschooling families, my wife Vickie and I have chosen the courtship model for our children as an alternative to dating. Courtship requires young people to refrain from casual dating and wait until they’re old enough to seriously consider marriage, before entering into any kind of romantic relationship.

In order to successfully follow the courtship model, parents need to begin talking to their kids at an early age about the principles involved in courtship. We began talking to our oldest daughters about the subject of marriage when they were very young girls—7, 8, 9 years old. All along, I let them know that their mom and dad would be highly involved in their choice of a mate. And as my daughters grew older, I talked to them about romantic relationships and the principles I expected them to follow in more detail. My daughters understood these principles before they were teenagers and far before they were seriously interested in relationships. They never expected to casually date.

If your children are older, it’s not too late to begin following the principles of courtship. However, just as a young child can learn a language more easily than an adult, a young child can also learn a pattern of behavior more easily than a teenager. An early education in courtship principles will help protect your children from the myriad of problems that accompanies premature romance.

I’m Mike Farris.