“Should I express affection on a date?”
“Must I kiss a boy good night?”
“How far should I go in necking?”

These are some of the questions boys and girls everywhere ask. There are many more, for young people want to know what is acceptable in this delicate area of a relationship.

Problems centering around parking and petting are universal now, with so many dates taking place in automobiles. Public opinion is still a matter of concern to young people. Many ask why parents worry about dating behavior, and how other teen-agers feel about a public display of affection.

SHOULD HE OR SHOULDN’T HE?

Many a boy is puzzled about just what a girl expects of him when he takes her out. He brings her home from a date, and she either seems scared about what he will do next, or she hesitates and seems to be waiting for him to “try something.” If he has not been out with her before, or if he has had little experience with girls, he just doesn’t know what is expected of him.

That Good-Night Kiss

Teen-agers tend to agree that a first date is too soon for a good-night kiss. Some sophisticated fellows say, “Sure I try, but I don’t really expect to get a good-night kiss the first date.” If such a fellow does get the kiss, he may wonder about how many other boys have also been so favored. This is exactly the impression a girl wants to avoid. No girl wants to appear “too easy.” She feels it’s better policy to give a boy something to come back for the next time.

Young people of both sexes tend to feel that a kiss should mean something besides just “good night.” College and high school students usually agree that kissing should be postponed by a dating pair until they’re fond enough of each other for the kiss to have special meaning.

Even though the first date is usually too soon for a goodnight kiss, there are important exceptions. If a couple have known each other for a long time before they date, they may feel that a kiss is appropriate. If the two persons have had an especially good time together, a good-night kiss may be the only way in which they can express their satisfaction in being together. If the girl seems to want to be kissed, and the fellow is eager to do so, this too may be an exception.