There's a lot of things that I love about being a parent to adult children. Watching them in the dating world just hasn't been one of them. I think that dating is a tough time in anyone's life. Experiencing it through your adult children's eyes seems even more difficult than going through it yourself. I try very hard to stay out of the Heinisch children's relationships unless they ask for advice. In addition, I try not to get too excited about anyone that they date as I never know how long the relationship will last. I also never say anything negative about their boyfriend or girlfriend even if they break up. Experience has taught me that you just never know when someone will reunite with an ex. I'd hate to have said something wrong and have it come back to haunt me later.
Right now it's extremely easy to be supportive of Meg's love life. She's been dating Nick for almost three years. He's at our home a lot when they're home. We're used to having him around and they seem to get along very well. It has been different for Brett, Cal and Cameron lately as none of the three have dated anyone seriously since last summer. Cal has been single since August, which was a new reality for all of us. He and Hannah-Marie had been together since his senior year in high school and we had been used to their relationship. He has met several girls this fall but hasn't completely jumped back into the dating scene yet. I misspoke one time about using the Tinder app and decided after that to just keep my mouth shut. I know he'll find a relationship when he's ready.
After Brett's relationship with Rachael ended, he decided to take a break from dating for awhile. Recently, he's tried a new online dating app where he's found some success. The whole concept of online dating was extremely strange to Doug and I at first. Now, we are used to couples meeting that way as the websites have become more popular. As Brett navigates his way through these encounters, it reminds of just how hard starting a new relationship can be. The insecurities it can cause can be a little overwhelming no matter how confident you may be. Cameron has had his ups and downs in the high school dating scene as well. I always thought that high school relationships were the worst as they tend to burn out very quickly. In a school as small as Bethany, I think that it may be even harder as friend groups can change drastically due to a bad break up or a serious relationship.
Overall, we've done our best to be supportive of our children's dating life without being intrusive. Doug always told the Heinisch children that waiting until they are 25 to date was the best advice that he could give them. Guess he must have overlooked the fact that he was married at 22.
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