Photo: @katclark86 / TikTok
A couple of her rules are raising eyebrows.
By Megan Quinn — Written on Oct 12, 2022
One Australian mother on TikTok shared the five strict datinig rules she enforces for her two daughters' future partners as they navigate through dating life.
Many people online shared their opinions on the rules, clashing over their moral standings.
The TikTok mom divided the internet with her list of strict rules for her daughters' dates.
In the TikTok video that has garnered over two million views, Kat Clark begins by sharing with viewers that her eldest daughter, 19-year-old Latisha, is dating.
“My daughter is on a date now and a lot of people have asked me what are your rules around dating for your children,” Clark said.
Clark includes a list of the five rules she established for her daughter’s partners if they are interested in dating them.
1. She wished their dates “Good Luck”
Clark begins by wishing any potential partners who wish to date her daughters “good luck.”
“My girls are sassy as h--l,” she reveals.
2. She has high expectations for her dates.
Clark holds high expectations for her daughter’s dates and expects them to treat both her and her children with the utmost respect.
She claims that her daughter’s previous boyfriend already set the bar high.
“My daughter and I share a birthday and her last boyfriend used to get me a gift too,” she shares. “So not only are my daughter’s expectations high but so are mine.”
3. Absolutely no sleepovers.
Clark shares that her daughters and their partners are forbidden to spend the night at each other’s houses until they’ve been dating seriously for at least six months.
“Like I don’t even want to meet you face-to-face [until six months]. Sorry!” Clark says.
4. There are high expectations for your family too.
Clark expresses that she wants her daughter’s partners to originate from a good family.
She wants to be able to look forward to future family gatherings if the relationship progresses.
“Your parents better be fun,” she says. “Because if this relationship goes anywhere, I want my Christmases to be fun, okay? I don’t want to have a Karen telling me what to do.”
5. Pick up the tab at dinner.
Clark believes that her daughter’s dates should always be the ones to pay the check when they go out for meals.
“Lastly, don’t ever invite my daughter out for dinner and expect her to pay for her meal,” she says.
Some TikTokers praised the mom for her list of rules.
“These are great, I’m gonna have the same rules for my daughter,” one user shared.
“I think these are all very valid reasons,” another user wrote.
However, others disagreed with the mom’s last rule in particular.
They believed that it is not always up to the man in the relationship to pay for meals and that the bill should be divided evenly.
“Keep your daughter. In this age we splittin the bill,” one user commented.
“I was with you till the last one.. everyone wants equality till it’s time to pay the bill..” another user pointed out.
Other users were also not in complete agreement with the fourth rule.
“It’s not the kids fault for having a bad family,” one user wrote.
“Most people come from unstable families. The advice is so s—ty, I’m surprised people still think that way,” another user commented.
Plans do not always go accordingly, and as children grow older and embark on new relationships with different people, expectations parents have in place for them could very well change.
We’ll see if any of Clark’s rules remain the same as her daughters continue to date.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.