2.  When you are friends, as opposed to dating, there are fewer demands  You can learn more about each other without the strains of a more serious bond

3.  In dating, you practice relationship skills  You learn what qualities you like in a partner  You try out communication skills  You are more prepared for a future relationship

4.  Parents don’t want teens to:  be in a situation they can’t control  get involved in close relationships before they’re ready  lose sight of their goals

5.  The benefits to going out in groups are:  You can relax and have fun  You feel less self-conscious and nervous

6.  …allows experience with different people and personalities  It doesn’t limit relationships  Gives more opportunities to meet others

7.  … brings a sense of security and provides an opportunity to get to know one person well

8.  Take the time to choose the right partner  Communication  Conflict resolution

9.  Problems…  Teens don’t take marriage seriously  Fail to choose a partner carefully  Have money problems  Change as they mature  Highest rate of divorce

10.  What is love based on?  Love is based on caring and a desire to work toward common goals  What does love require of people?  It requires give-and-take, devotion, admiration, and affection

11.  What question can you ask about a relationship to determine whether it is love or infatuation?  Is the relationship based upon more than just physical attraction?  Is the feeling based on the TOTAL person?  Is concern for each person’s well-being and happiness important to the other?  Have you given it enough time?

12.  Intense, short-term feelings of love for someone  Usually with someone with whom a romantic relationship isn’t possible

13.  The best way to handle jealousy is to talk honestly about it

14.  Resentment is stowed away, slowly builds, and later erupts at an inappropriate, unrelated time

15.  Make a clean end of it  Be straight with the other person  Be firm  Avoid using pressure to stop the breakup  Speak fairly about the other person to friends  Give yourself time to recover from the hurt  Use what you have learned for future relationships

16.  Teenage pregnancy causes difficult decisions  It makes finishing school difficult  Teens miss friends and activities, may have little money, and face poor job prospects  Teens must juggle demands of working and parenting  Teens face problems with their parents

17.  Pregnancy  STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases)  Feelings of shame and being used

18.  Hormones  TV and movies  peers

19.  Abstinence  Go out in groups  Spend time at home with family  Make your wishes clear to your partner  Use self-control  Plan how to handle dating in advance