MR says: A recent article posted on Yahoo Parenting asked, "what's the right age for teens to start dating?" They looked at the average age teens usually start dating, talked to experts, and even consulted parents. Their results were pretty interesting, detailing many of the negative effects that can come from steadily dating at a yound age. Here's a small excerpt from the article:
What the experts say
Most recommend 15 and 16 as the ideal ages to begin dating. For Ron Eagar, a pediatrician at Denver Health Medical Center, the magic number is 16. “There’s an enormous difference between a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old and a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old in terms of life experience,” he told HealthyChildren.org, the website for the AAP.
“Sixteen — and even a bit older — is a good age for dating, provided that the teen is mature,” Leslie Beth Wish, a psychologist and clinical social worker, told SheKnows. “Maturity can be measured by willingness to participate sufficiently in household chores, treating others with respect, getting good grades, and managing emotions.’”