This can be a tough situation to find yourself in. It’s especially difficult when you aren’t sure how they will react. The Bible tells us to honour our parents, (Ephesians 6:2-3. Exodus 20:12. Colossians 3:20) and one of the ways we honour them is by following their rules and listening to their guidance. Our parents often give us rules to protect us and our hearts, and we can trust their judgement of what we are ready for and what is good for us. So don’t try to say yes to the guy and hide it from your parents. By doing this, you are lying to your parents, even by omission, and you are disobeying them and dishonouring them deliberately. Also, when they do find out, they will be more upset that you didn’t talk to them about it.
One option that works is that you could tell the guy you like no, or that your parents say you can’t date. This saves you the conversation with your parents, but isn’t necessarily the choice to make if you really do want to go on a date with them.
If you want to go on a date, consider why. Do you want to date someone because you feel that will validate you as a person? Do you want to date because you really want to get to know this guy better? Are all your friends dating and you feel left out? There are a lot of reasons why you might want to start dating, and some of them aren’t very healthy. Analyze your motives, think about why it may or may not be a good idea for you to be in a relationship.
If you still do want to go out with this guy and think you are ready, have a conversation with your parents. Tell them why you want to go out with him, and why you think you are ready. Make sure you are actually prepared with the reasons why. Show that you have really thought things through. Approach this conversation with maturity. An idea of how to start that conversation could be, “Me and *insert guy’s name here* have been getting to know each other and he asked if I wanted to go on a date with him and I would love to go. I wanted to ask for your permission and make a space for both of us to voice our thoughts on the matter.” Then allow them to voice their concerns and give any feedback they might have. If in the end they still don’t want you to date, respect their wishes, and know that you have left the lines of communication open for the future. If they say you can, then feel free to say yes.