One of the best parts of summer recess is the sudden absence of adult supervision. It’s less likely someone older is around ensuring that your bedroom door stays open or scolding you to “get to class.” There are places to sneak away to that the colder months don’t allow and no such thing as a school night that forces you to end your evenings early. These new circumstances won’t change things for everyone, but the extra freedom and opportunity might lead to extra fooling around.

I can still distinctly remember my five-year-old self drawing pictures in crayon of my dream man. He was tall with blond hair and a goofy smile. Granted, his smile could have been goofy due to my amateur drawing skills, but the dream for a future with the perfect man was there. 

Being in a relationship with someone means they have the power to drive you absolutely freaking CRAY CRAY.  The deep emotions that come along with being romantically involved means not only rainbows and butterflies, but experiencing anger and annoyance on whole new levels.   Getting upset with your partner cannot be avoided, but letting your annoyance ruin the relationship can be.  Here’s how to deal when the person you love is making you nuts.  

We all have questions…why is the sky blue? When can I get my learner's permit? Why are my parents so incredibly embarrassing? But some questions are a little harder to ask…how do I know if I love him? When will I know that I'm ready for sex? What kind of birth control is right for me…and how do I get it? 

I know you have heard: “Boys only want one thing,” and, “They’ll take whatever they can get.”  Especially when dealing with guys who fit these generalizations, it can be tricky to understand how to best handle difficult, high-pressure situations with the opposite sex.

I hope that you can benefit from the methods I have developed to avoid the rotten apples, to gain boys’ respect; to slow them down, and to overall manage uncomfortable situations as smoothly as possible.  Sometimes I wish I had been advised years ago to:

With all of the skimpy bikinis, songs about summer love, and free time, you would think keeping up a romance when school isn’t in session would be a breeze. But dating during the summer months comes with its own challenges. If you’re about to take the relationship you started during the school year into the summer, do yourself a favor and think through how you’ll approach some of the difficulties that are rarely discussed. 

We're talking a lot this month about what makes up a bad or abusive relationship…but as important as it is to recognize a negative relationship, it's also really important to understand what makes up a healthy relationship. We asked members of our teen advisory group to help us define what things make up a healthy relationship and they took it a step further: they made awesome collages featuring images and words that make them think of love, trust, communication, and anything else that's key in a good relationship. Check out their pieces here and tell us what YOU think makes up a healthy relationship! 

We're talking a lot this month about what makes up a bad or abusive relationship…but as important as it is to recognize a negative relationship, it's also really important to understand what makes up a healthy relationship. We asked members of our teen advisory group to help us define what things make up a healthy relationship and they took it a step further: they made awesome collages featuring images and words that make them think of love, trust, communication, and anything else that's key in a good relationship. Check out their pieces here and tell us what YOU think makes up a healthy relationship! 

We're talking a lot this month about what makes up a bad or abusive relationship…but as important as it is to recognize a negative relationship, it's also really important to understand what makes up a healthy relationship. We asked members of our teen advisory group to help us define what things make up a healthy relationship and they took it a step further: they made awesome collages featuring images and words that make them think of love, trust, communication, and anything else that's key in a good relationship. Check out their pieces here and tell us what YOU think makes up a healthy relationship! 

We're talking a lot this month about what makes up a bad or abusive relationship…but as important as it is to recognize a negative relationship, it's also really important to understand what makes up a healthy relationship. We asked members of our teen advisory group to help us define what things make up a healthy relationship and they took it a step further: they made awesome collages featuring images and words that make them think of love, trust, communication, and anything else that's key in a good relationship. Check out their pieces here and tell us what YOU think makes up a healthy relationship!