Learning to build healthy dating relationships is an important part of being a teenager. The following tips can help you understand what it takes:
- Learn good communication skills. Healthy relationships are built on positive communication, which means being able to talk with each other without being judgmental or expressing anger inappropriately.
- Understand that abusive or violent behavior is never acceptable.
- Respect each other's choices, even when you disagree.
- Enjoy hanging out with other friends and family. Just because you're in a relationship doesn't mean you have to be together all the time.
- Understand that each of you has the right to say "no" to anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.
- Treat one another with respect. This means not putting the other person down or making fun of them, especially in front of others.
- Listen to each other's ideas and compromise when necessary.
- Respect each other's boundaries. You shouldn't have to share passwords for your cell phone or your email account, for example.
- Don't insult, demean or threaten one another, in person or online.
- Be supportive of one another's accomplishments and successes.