by Yo Jeff
Did you meet the kid who likes your child yet? Well there’s nothing to be scared of so put all of your tough talk and hard attitude away and save it for the movies. Wake up, it’s the new millennium and having a scary looking parent standing at the door saying, “you better treat my daughter right” is so yesterday. Today there are much more constructive conversations for that dreaded first meeting.
Whether you have a son or a daughter the same philosophy applies. The same goes for if your child is 12 or 22, and regardless if you are half of a church-going couple or a playa turned single parent. You can give your child the assistance they need to begin their journey down the path of finding a life partner. 
Aside from educating your child about the impact of unexpected teenage pregnancy and STDs, it’s equally important to talk to them about dating. It transmits your values about how to treat others and what kind of behavior to accept. Don’t give advice that directly contradicts your lifestyle; if your child has seen you bring home a different partner every week, you can’t very well insist they wait to be married for sex. What you can do, if you’ve been a bad example, is talk to your child about what influenced your outlook and the consequences of some of your actions. You don’t have to destroy all boundaries to have an honest conversation with your child.
Sometimes you find out your child has a love interest before you think they’re old enough to hear about the birds and the bees. If this happens, fear not.
First thing you should do is to request a meeting with both of them. You can have the meeting over at your house or somewhere else you can have uninterrupted conversation. Use the meeting as the screening opportunity that it is. Show your child how to talk to someone they are interested in. Pretend you are interviewing them as a couple. You will be surprised what you find out. Ask them questions like how they met, what they like about each other and why they want to have a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Humor is a good way to talk about sex. Ask a question like ‘Have you ever simulated the act of reproduction?’ Everyone knows what you are talking about and it sounds less judgmental than asking the child if they’re a virgin. Request a meeting with their parent or parents—this lets them understand that it is more than the two of them who will be connected.
Your child’s decision-making skills are their first line of dating defense. Empower them with the dating smarts you’ve learned so you won’t end up like the parents on MTV’s Parental Advisory, trying to break your child away from a date from hell. If you feel you need to brush up on your dating knowledge there are a number of basic dating books, which give a lot of good advice.
Look, there are no arranged marriages in America so people have to learn how to date. Be the trusted life coach your child needs you to be.
This is your boy Yo Jeff, Hip Hop’s #1 dating coach, wishing you good luck. Any comments? Leave ‘em below. Send questions to CoachYoJeff@gmail.com.
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“Have you ever simulated the act of reproduction?” Dang Coach, would a teenager really respond to that? And do you think a player should educate their daughters on the game?