Dating

As Connor entered his sophomore year of high school, he had enjoyed a friendship here and there with some friends who happened to be girls (haha). But it wasn't until the fall Homecoming season approached that he began to show interest in dating one girl in particular, a good friend from his school. I had been telling Connor for years that before he could officially "date" a girl, he would need to join his mother on an outing for a heart-to-heart conversation about the responsibilities of dating and how to properly treat a potential date. We joked about how awkward it felt for him to go on a pseudo-date with his mother (HA!), but Connor was a good sport about it. It didn't hurt that we chose his favorite spot to have our lunch together - Texas Roadhouse. 

As awkward as it might've felt, it was important to me to have this conversation with Connor about some important subjects related to dating. We covered a lot: how to dress for a date, making his date feel important and special, listening and communicating in a relationship, consent, holding and opening doors, making his date laugh, compliments, protecting his heart, and most importantly, treating his date with respect. I shared some stories of my own dating life (the good, bad, and the ugly) in an attempt to impart some wisdom, and I tried to be vulnerable about the joys but also the heartbreak involved. I'd like to think our talk was helpful to him, but he's a teenager and likely just appeased me to get through the conversation. In the end, I felt like we had taken an important step to make sure he was somewhat ready for the responsibilities of dating. In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed the time with my boy and all the laughs we shared. This kid sure has my heart!

With the dating conversation complete, Connor was officially given permission to ask his special friend on a date. He had been contemplating a Homecoming date for a while and debating if and how to ask her. Homecoming proposals are a big thing in high school, and a boy can't simply ask a girl to Homecoming without some sort of gesture, usually involving a special sign or poster. After some discussion, he came up with a plan all on his own based on a shared interest between he and his friend, Marie. He meticulously measured and designed his proposal poster and went to work creating and coloring. Kaitlynn was impressed with his effort and stepped in to assist with one of the letters on the sign. It was so cute watching him put forth such time and attention into his poster, and we were nervous on his behalf as he prepared to officially ask his date to Homecoming. 

After some arrangements with Marie's mom, Connor showed up on her porch for the official Homecoming proposal. "It would be peachy if you go to HoCo with me" was written on Connor's poster and accompanied by a bag of their shared favorite candy, Bucees peach rings. It was fun to watch the pair from afar, and Marie seemed genuinely excited with Connor's creative proposal. She said yes and even reached up for a hug. So cute!

Afterwards, Connor admitted how relieved he felt to have the proposal over with and with a positive outcome, ha! He and Marie seemed so excited to have a fun Homecoming date to plan, and both sets of parents were happy for them as well. It was a new chapter for us as Connor entered the world of dating, and we couldn't have asked for a better choice for his first official date!