I say to heck with what the other parents are going to feel. this is YOUR child you are protecting and possibly theirs. You don't have to give any explanation as to why you won't allow him to start dating at 13. At this age kids still need alot of supervision. they are just not mature enough to handle dating yet. I know this from my own experience. My parents divorced when I was 12 and I had my first date at 13. I was pregnant at 15. 2 yrs of dating already. gave me way too much time to do nothing but fool around. stick to your guns hon. your son will thank you later.