Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Evaluating a relationship

Rose Publishing has a great booklet titled "100 Things To Know When Dating" (or "100 Things to Know Before Dating and Marriage").

This is well worth getting. It has discussion questions about goals and interests, character, personality, family and friends, and background. These questions help you determine if you really know the person well. The booklet also has a "risk quiz", advice from the Bible about courtship and marriage, and tips on how to make break-ups less painful and how to recover from a break-up.

Parents of tweens should discuss these questions in relation to the tweens friends... are the friends beneficial to your tween?

Parents of teens should discuss these questions in relation to current friends and especially potential dating partners.

Parents of pregnant daughters should discuss these questions in relation to the baby's father, regardless of the age of the pregnant daughter.

Some of the questions in the booklet are:
  1. How often does his/her family get together?
  2. Does this person get along with other people in his or her family?
  3. Does this person seem to have a vital relationship with God or does he or she just say religious things? (1 John 2:3-6)
  4. Does he or she joke or brag about doing wrong things? (Proverbs 10:23)
  5. Does this person flirt with others or treat you with respect? (1 Corinthians 13)
  6. Is he or she irritable, unforgiving, stubborn or looking for an opportunity to take revenge? (Matthew 5:38-39)
  7. Does he or she talk about past relationships often?
  8. Is their anything about him or her you would not want your parents or friends to know?
  9. Does this person still live at home? Why?
  10. Does this person do kind and loving things for others without being asked?
  11. Does this person have odd opinions, poor manners, or trouble keeping friends?
  12. Do you find yourself apologizing for his/her behavior?
  13. Does he/she hold you down and tickle you when it is no longer fun?

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