"Boyfriend Time"

by H.Wight

How to balance time between a boyfriend and friends/family.

So, you have your first serious boyfriend and you are crazy about him. You are on the phone for hours, even when most of the time is just spent breathing. You want to spend as much time as you can with him, but it is very important to not forget about your family or friends, either.

Certain holidays should always be spent with your family. These include: Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah, Father's & Mother's Day, Easter. Fourth of July could go either way and holidays like Halloween, New Year's, and Valentine's Day could be spent with your boyfriend and friends. Do not let him talk you into going to his family's house for the major holidays. You might think it would be more fun just because it will be different. However, who knows if you will be with this guy forever and when you look back, you will regret missing holidays with your family to spend it with someone who is now an ex.

If you spend everyday after school or work with your boyfriend, you will miss out on things at home. Your parents are only going to be cooking dinner for you every night for so long. If you have siblings you will miss precious time with them. When you or they go off to college you will not be able to ever go back to how your relationship was with them before. Do not change your everyday occurrences to suit a boyfriend. If you have family game night on Thursdays, make sure you still attend it. If you want to, invite your boyfriend along, but makes sure that he knows how important it is to you.

Losing a girl friend because of a boyfriend is one of the worst mistakes a girl could make and you will always regret it. Do not ditch your friends at lunch to sit with your boyfriend and his friends every day. Switch off between the two tables, or try to have the two tables join together. Weekend time is the most important, because your friends are use to having you around for all of it. Now that you have a boyfriend, it is most likely you will spend at least one of the free days with him. Make sure to not spend the entire weekend with your boyfriend. If you do, pretty soon your friends will stop calling and asking you to hang out, because they assume you will say "no". If you do have to tell your friends "no" to weekend plans a few times, make sure you tell them why. It is best to make sure that your friends understand you are not "ditching" them, but just trying to split the time they are use to having in half. If you and your boyfriend do break up and you spent the last year ignoring your friends, guess what? They will not be there for you now, because why should they? You were not there for them, because you spent all your time with your boyfriend.

Yes, boyfriends are a lot of fun to have around. What girl does not want someone telling them how pretty they are all the time? Yet, boyfriends come and go, especially high school ones. Your friends and family are the ones that will be there for you when your heart is broken or when you have to break someone else's. Always try to remember that you can not take family and friends for granted, because of a boyfriend. In the end, they are the only ones that are sure to be there.

First Date Do's and Don'ts

 by: Anna H.


How To Nail Your First Impression
First dates are always nail bitters -- you never quite know what to expect. With summertime upon us, first dates are often outdoor activities and sometimes they can even be parties where you meet your date's friends and family right off the bat. A luau-themed party sounds like fun when you are flying solo, but it could be the subject of your next nightmare if it's the setting for your first date. Read our tips on how to nail your first date (even under these intense circumstances) and you'll be on your way to a successful first impression.

1. Don't think too far ahead.
 Meeting your date's friends and family on your first date might make you think he's ready to get serious. But don't read too much into the situation! Have a good time and enjoy the company. If someone asks about if you are in a relationship, let them know that you are still getting to know each other. Just be sure you don't start talking about how you can't wait to see them at your wedding reception!

2. Do be willing to join the crowd. One of the best ways to make a good impression is to be a good sport. Maybe you aren't thrilled about having a waterballoon throwing contest with your dates little cousins, but don't let him know. Go into the situation with an open mind and give everything a try. Your date will notice your willingness to try things (even if they don't sound so exciting) and be attracted to you because of it.

3. Don't put on a show for the guests. By show, I mean a skin show. Just because it's an outside date doesn't mean you need to show off your new barely-there bikini. Keep your outfit respectable and don't let your date know too much about where your secret tattoo is before you've been on a few more dates.

4. Do try to have fun. If you go into the situation with a happy attitude and with the mindset that you'll have fun, you will! If you think that it's going to be miserable, most likely it will be. Not only will you have a terrible time, but your date will recognize it, and in the end, he might have a bad time too since he brought you along. So what if you would rather have it be just the two of you in a romantic setting? Have fun with this situation, and in the future you'll have plenty of time to live out your fantasy dates.