Some Valuable Love Advice for Girls

If you are young and dealing with the pressures of dating, those pressures are probably mixed in with other pressures, such as schoolwork, your parents' wishes for your life and maybe even a job. Because you only have so much time and mental energy to expend, you'll have to choose which of your life concerns that want to place first, second, third and do so on in order to accomplish your goals.

More likely than not, the first thing on your mind as you begin prioritizing will probably be your boyfriend or the people that you've been dating. For most of us, love is the strongest positive feeling that we experience, which naturally makes us place romantic interests at the top of our list. However, if you are young enough that a good portion of your life is dedicated toward establishing your future income or profession, it makes sense to put your financial future above present romance.

Perhaps your parents have told you that your boyfriend won't end up becoming your husband, angering you and making you all the more committed to the relationship. But while your anger is understandable, understand that what they are really trying to say is this: it's silly to spend most of your energies on romance when you should be preparing for your future in other ways too. And they are right. If your relationship is meant to be, then your boyfriend should actually encourage you to place most of your energy into schoolwork; not distract you from it.

When you prioritize your responsibilities and place your future at the top of the list, it doesn't mean that you won't have any time for dating, which means that you'll have to be vigilant about only dating people who respect your priorities. Although girls are supposedly the ones who go head over heels in love and end up eating buckets of ice cream when things don't work out, young men are just as prone to romantic obsession as girls. However, they tend be far more focused on the sexual aspect of romance, which could cause you problems.

Because we know that you realize how an unexpected pregnancy could compromise your present and future, we're not going to belabor that point. But what is worth pointing out is how sex works to create a strong emotional bond that is hard to break. So, what's so bad about that? Absolutely nothing; at least, not as long your life is ready for a romantic relationship as its center piece. How you conduct your dating life is up to you. But it's worth remembering that a relationship that includes sex is always harder to prioritize than a relationship that doesn't include sex.

For most people, young romance is one of the most memorable parts of their lives. But getting where you want to go in life often requires taking some tough dating advice from people who have been in your position. For more advice on appropriate dating relationships, Dr. Diana Kirschner's Love in 90 Days is an excellent resource.