My Wishlist for My Girls
Back when each of my girls was a freshman, we parents were assigned homework during their study of Romeo and Juliet. Our assignment was to describe what we thought the ideal mate for our children would be like. And then we were supposed to describe how we thought our children pictured their ideal mates. That’s a pretty thought-provoking assignment, huh?
If I remember correctly, my requirements for the perfect mate for both of my girls were pretty similar. I was hoping for someone kind, honest, hard-working, funny, smart, and responsible. I think I want the same things most parents would want for my girls.
Since I turned in that homework assignment, we’ve seen some boyfriends come and go around here. To say some of them didn’t fit my description of perfection would be an understatement. We’ve seen some nice kids, for sure, but there have been a few that fell far short of my ideal.
That English I assignment has been on my mind again lately. At this moment (and you know things can change fast in the world of teen dating!) both of my girls have boyfriends that have the qualities I listed in those old essays. These are two young men who treat them well and have a lot going for them. We’ve had months to get to know one of them. The other is a new acquaintance for us, but we haven’t seen any red flags yet.
I hope both of my girls are a very long way from making a lifetime choice as far as relationships go. I hope they’ll finish college and make their own way in the world for a while before they get married. But it’s good for this mom to see both of my girls spending time with young men who treat them well and have bright futures in front of them. It would be nice to think that their list of qualifications for the person they are spending time with is similar to the one I have for them.
So what would you list as the qualities you’d look for in an ideal future mate for your teens?
