You were her first love and that’s how it’ll stay forever. The kind of relationship you’ve had with your daughter will manifest itself in all her relationships with the opposite sex, whether personal or professional. If she was the apple of your eye, she’ll know how to deal with boys while holding her own. If you two had a hard time relating to each other, she is bound to struggle with other men in her life, too. So make the most of your relationship with your daughter during her formative years, since attention and affection from dads during this time go a long way. One great way of doing this is to be her friend and confidante. Since she is starting to date, this is the perfect time to sit her down and give her some dating advice for teenagers.

Be her first date

There is no way of teaching her about dating better than to do it practically. Take her out and show her how a gentleman treats a lady. In short your date with your teenage daughter is about setting the tone of what kind of treatment she should expect from a boy.

Do the boy talk

Although most fathers find this a very difficult topic to talk about with their teenage daughters, it is best done by you, since you can talk from personal experience. Tell her that some of the most sincere looking boys may not always have her best interest in mind, so be careful with who she trusts. Teach her all that you know so that she has the sense of what's right and what's wrong. 

Show her what she is worth

Teenage girls who have strong fathers in their lives tend to grow up being more out-going and confident. So if you treat her with genuine respect and affection, the bar has been set and that’s what she will expect from other men too. This will show her, her true worth and thus she will not compromise on her standards or the way she is treated by other men.

Listen to your gut

This could be one of the most vital pieces of advice you will give to her before she starts dating. Female intuition is famous, but not for being acted upon. Teach her to listen to her gut and make intelligent choices and decisions accordingly.

Be a role model 

Make sure whatever your relationship status is with your teen’s mother: together, separated or divorced, she sees you two in a positive light. The way you two conduct your relationship is how your teen will think is acceptable. Therefore, always treat your partner, wife or ex with respect and genuine care, thus teaching your daughter how real men treat women.

Don’t fall for too much too soon

Considering her age remind your teen that this is not the time for serious relationships. So in spite of how love struck she feels, this is not necessarily love, which is why unsupervised dating is a non-negotiable rule at this point.

Be there for her

Be constantly accessible to your teen during these crucial years. Most teenage girls are known to be “boy crazy”, because of dysfunctional or non-communicative relationships with their fathers. So let her come to you as frequently as she needs to talk, discuss or just hang out with you. Convince her that you will always be there for her.

Winning with logic

Parents who are too restrictive tend to alienate their teens and make them rebellious. Don’t just lay down the law and disagree for the sake of disagreeing. If you are discouraging them from something don’t just put up a road block, convince them with logic and reasoning. Teach your daughter to question authority and follow logic in every part of her life.

Talk about the birds and the bees

Before she heads out the door with her date, be sure to tell her the difference between love and sex. Remind her that what might feel like the height of love, may just be a rush of hormones. Define this difference as clearly as possible and tell her to give you a call to come pick her up, if her date is unable to abide by these rules.

Know them all 

Make sure you know the boy she is planning to date. This boy might be the first of the few who will come knocking on your door to see her, so make sure you know who they are. Meet the boy in person and make sure to make your presence felt. This will alert the boy and basically provide a greater sense of security to you teenager.