Going steady

Going steady means to date no one except your "one and only." If you are under eighteen, you should not seriously consider going steady. Neither of you has met enough people to decide on "the one."

Going steady has advantages and disadvantages. One advantage for the girl is that she always knows she has a date, no matter what. She does not have to go through the agony of waiting for a text or for the phone to ring. She can relax in the knowledge that her "steady" is going to be her escort to whatever comes along.

It is convenient for the fellow too. He does not have to fight off the competition. It is easier on his pocketbook because he does not have to spend a bundle to impress a new girl each week. And he does not run the risk of being turned down or being without a date.

This sounds like a comfortable arrangement, but it has some real disadvantages and it can be dangerous.

One disadvantage is that you tend to take each other for granted. Sloppy habits develop. Why be "Mr. Courteous" when you know she is going to be your date regardless?

Another disadvantage is that teens who go steady are cut off from others. They are "out of circulation." Your teen years are years when you should be learning about other people. When you date a number of people, you learn about different personalities, and what you like and do not like in a person. This is valuable knowledge that will help you when you are ready to choose a mate.

The dangerous aspect of going steady is that it often leads to "going all the way" -- having sexual intercourse. Most young people who go steady never intend going this far, but frequent intimate contact with each other leads to familiarity.

You may say, "But I'm not that kind of girl," or "I'm not that kind of guy." Maybe not, but it happens to teens by the thousands each year, and it can happen to you.