Q: I have an adolescent daughter who doesn’t seem to be interested in dating. She seems happy and is involved in some activities. Is this normal that she isn’t dating?
A: While adolescents usually begin dating, it’s not problematic for your daughter to not be interested as of yet. Some teens prefer going out in groups and don’t even date until they begin college. For other teens, romantic relationships are an instrumental part of their high school experience for social development. Some teens are shyer and not as socially developed as others. Perhaps your daughter is interested in other activities that are occupying her time.
It’s important for you to be supportive of this particular developmental stage of your daughter’s life. Adolescence can be a challenging time and chances are she will develop an interest in dating as she continues to mature. Meanwhile, it sounds like she is developing normally and hopefully, she has some healthy friendships.