Supporting Your Adult Child’s Jewish Dating Journey

By Naomi Goldman, Executive Director – Lev Tov Match

Watching your adult child take steps toward love and connection can be one of the most moving experiences as a parent. For parents of adults with disabilities or who are neurodivergent, or simply see and feel the world differently, those steps can also bring a swirl of emotions, pride, hope, protectiveness, and sometimes fear.

At Lev Tov Match, we understand this journey deeply.

Seeing Your Child as a Whole Person

Parents often tell us they want their adult child to find a partner, but worry about their emotional and physical safety . This emotional weighing scales can feel so daunting.

For parents, the instinct to protect is powerful, especially when you’ve already spent years advocating for your child in so many areas of life. It can feel scary to think of allowing your child to be in a position they may feel hurt down the line.

At Lev Tov Match, we believe our role is to make Jewish dating accessible, supportive, and real for adults who may have been overlooked or misunderstood in traditional settings.

Acknowledging Their Desire for Love

Your child’s wish to “find their person” is powerful and deeply human. When parents recognise and affirm that desire, it helps their adult child feel validated and hopeful.

Validating their feelings can be the first step into allowing them to spread their wings.

You might simply say, “I know finding someone special matters to you. You deserve that kind of love.” That acknowledgment , without hesitation or conditions, opens the door for honest conversation about hopes, fears, and what love means to them.

When It Feels Scary as a Parent

It’s completely natural to feel anxious about your child entering the dating world. You know how tender the heart can be, and your child's heart is everything to you. You want to shield your child from rejection or disappointment whatever their age.

Relationships don’t always go as we wish them to. There can be misunderstandings, mismatched feelings, or painful moments.

At Lev Tov Match, we honour that protective love. It comes from a place of care and devotion. But we also gently remind parents that experiencing the full range of relationships, the joys and the heartbreaks, is part of being human. With the right guidance and support, your child can learn resilience, confidence, and the deep satisfaction that comes from real emotional connection.

Our role is to make that journey as safe, supported, and meaningful as possible, not by avoiding challenges, but by helping each person navigate them with understanding and strength.

Creating Space for Open Conversation

Dating can bring a wide range of feelings: excitement, nervousness, frustration, and joy. Many adults with disabilities or neurodivergent traits benefit from having a trusted person to talk things through with, someone who listens, not just advises. This person is often their parent.

Make room for your child to share how they feel about dating, what they are worried about, what’s hard for them, what’s fun, what they hope for. A simple invitation like “Do you want to tell me how that date felt for you?” can make them feel supported and heard.

At Lev Tov Match, we model that same approach. We take time to get to know each individual’s communication style, comfort levels, and preferences, because understanding leads to more authentic connections.

Supporting Without Taking Over

It’s natural for parents to want to help and protect, to write the messages for your adult child, set up meetings, or guide every step. But giving your child space to make their own choices builds their confidence and self-respect. It may also help you see how independent they can be.

At Lev Tov Match, we involve parents as allies. We invite families to work with us in a way that supports their adult’s independence and comfort. Your role is to be a safe place your child can return to, no matter the outcome.

Walking the Journey Together

When your child joins Lev Tov Match, they become part of a caring Jewish community built on understanding, acceptance, and genuine kindness. We guide each person through the process at their own pace, from learning about their interests and values to helping them meet compatible matches who share those same foundations. We especially do this during our Monday Lev Tov online club.

And because we know how important family support is, we welcome parents into the Lev Tov Match process because you can help us understand the full picture of who your adult child is.

A Message for Parents

Your belief in your child’s right to love is one of the greatest gifts you can offer. It’s okay to be scared, to worry, and to feel protective, those feelings mean you care deeply. But when you balance that care with trust in your child’s strength and in the supportive environment we’ve built at Lev Tov Match, you give them the freedom to experience love fully.

We are honoured to walk beside you and your family as your child seeks not just a partner, but belonging, understanding, and love rooted in Jewish values and human dignity.

Because every person, regardless of ability or neurotype, deserves to find someone who sees their lev tov, their good heart, and says, “Yes, this is my person.”

Visit our Lev Tov Match homepage for more information: https://www.levtovmatch.com/