This investigation examined mothers' beliefs about important dating partner characteristics and expectations regarding management of dating in an ethnically diverse sample of 76 early adolescents and their mothers. Open-ended and structured questions were used to identify a range of dating partner characteristics which were important to mothers and a range of dating-management practices expected to be used by the mothers. Adolescents also reported their expectations of the mothers' management of dating. There were significant differences in mothers' and adolescents' reports of expectations of management of dating. Analyses revealed some ethnic differences and few gender differences in important characteristics of dating partners as well as expectations regarding management of dating.