Dating Advice

This week I have been involved in several conversations about dating with some of the youngsters I meet with. I'm sure Valentine's day has played a part in this increased interest in romantic relationships; so, in case you have also been thinking about love a little more lately, I thought I would share some comments and tips (a few details have been tweaked to protect privacy):

"If you are dating a girl you should not make fun of her friends to her. Or her family. And you should not try to go out with any of her friends while you are dating her."

"It's okay to hold hands with a girl when you're in 4th grade, but not when you are on the bus. She might not want people to know that you are going out with each other."

Girl: "Mrs. Stefanie, if only you and one other person were left in the whole world and the other person was a boy, who would you want it to be?"
Me: "My husband, Josh. He is my best friend and we have a lot of fun together, so I would want him to be the other person."
Girl: "He's your best friend?"
Me: "Yes"
Girl (with disappointed look on face): "huh."

"It is a good idea to get married when you are a teenager and then have a baby right away, because then you won't be as selfish because you will be thinking about someone else."

"You should wait until you are 15 years old to kiss a girl. Or 13 years old. Both are okay. Some girls like to kiss 15 year olds and some girls like to kiss 13 year olds ... I'm almost 13."

So there you have it ... I certainly do not personally endorse all of this advice, but I do think all of us should at least remember to not make fun of our significant others' family members and we should not try to date his or her friends.