Middle School Problems - Part 2 (by Jon Allen)

One of the major issues that plagues most middle schoolers is the issue of dating! Thus I shall contribute my 2 cents on the issue in this weeks edition.

 Middle School Problems: Dating

We all know that the early teen years can be rather awkward. I have found that in my experience dealing with this age group that there is absolutely no more awkward a time to deal with the issue of dating than middle school.

Teens usually have about three things on their mind when it comes to dating.

First: Attraction.....

A young teenager begins to deal with the issue of attraction. This can lead to the desire to date.

My advice on this is don't do it. First off you are likely to develop a crush on someone. That doesn't mean that you should date them. I had a crush on Taylor Swift, but if I had dated her in middle school, something tells me that I would have a terrible song about me as a number one country hit.... What I am trying to say is that, dating your crush in middle school leads to bad rumors in high school! If you start dating early then you will get a reputation as a "player" or possibly something even worse. It has a high probability of sticking with you as you move forward thus causing you to have to live with all that extra baggage :( YUCK.... If you are in middle school and find yourself crushin on that special someone, try writing about it in your handy dandy journal. Also make friends with them! If the crush continues in high school then you have also got the friendship to back it up. BOOM! Make your move at 16 ask them on a real date and go back and read that first journal entree to them on your honeymoon or as your wedding vows!!!! DO NOT  TRY TO DATE THEM BEFORE YOUR 16..... YOUR CHANCES GO WAY DOWN OF IT WORKING OUT....

Second: Status.....

Who you are can have a lot to do with who you date. Teens want to say they are dating someone popular within their circle the same way that we might want to name drop what client we just landed in the office. The tricky part of middle school dating is that status goes hand in hand with coming out on top. If you find yourself in a relationship designed to impress your friends, you might want to reconsider. While it makes us feel good to get the one we want and especially good if its the one everyone else wants too, we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to a terrible complex moving forward. If our self worth and identity is defined by who we are with instead of who we are, then as we reach high school we will become dependent on others to validate us. Breakups will hurt much worse and self confidence will come and go leaving us with a bigger void to fill in college and its totes unhealthy. DON'T DATE FOR STATUS UPGRADES!

Third: Peer Pressure....

When our best friends get something we don't have the pressure certainly goes up that's for sure. If your best friend gets a bae, you may feel like the third wheel. IT SUCKS! Listen up!!! Remember that your friends are individuals and they are going to make their own decisions, and so are you. I promise you that waiting until high school to date is better than trying to do it in middle school. If your friend starts dating and you begin to feel the pressure to grab someone too, try this instead: MAKE A NEW FRIEND! They can even be of the opposite gender. That's actually healthy. Friends of the opposite gender will help you develop social skills and get rid of that awkwardness that comes along with dating for the first time later on. Just remember to set major boundaries. Think of yourself as like a precious flower. There is a time to bloom but before that there's a ton of growing to do. Make sure you take good care of yourself and don't try to peel open the petals before its time. You want to make your time to shine special! Do this by being you and not giving into the peer pressure to date in middle school.

Bonus issue... TEXTING........ 

Pretty much all middle schooolers are getting phones now. Remember that having a phone is a huge ginormous responsibility. What you send in a text literally can never be unsent. These days middle schoolers will have multiple boyfriends or girlfriends that they text nonstop but may not even get the chance to see. It is very important that you remember 2 simple rules when texting. Would I want the whole world to see this? If not then don't send it. Secondly, texting can be misleading. No amount of emoticons can convey meaning like you can with your voice. Remember not to text things that can be misinterpreted....

RECAP:

Don't date in middle school!!!!

Middle Schoolers are AWKWARD!!!

TEXTS LAST FOREVER

GOODNIGHT -Just_Jon