Advice for Kids in Love

By Juliet Myfanwy Johnson, eHow Contributor

There's nothing quite so dramatic as first love. It can be overwhelming, amazing, and crushing when it doesn't work out. Figuring out how to give decent advice to young people in the midst of this crazy love can be daunting as a parent. Any parent who's gone through adolescence with an open (and occasionally bruised) heart may remember several of these gentle reminders to help guide the kids through this heady experience.

1. Take your Time

   • First love can feel intense. You may feel like you can't live without this person. You can't think of anything else. It's good to feel everything you're feeling--you're alive, you're young, the whole world is fresh, new and exciting. As you're becoming more independent from your parents, you're going to have to rely on your own heart, develop a sense of right and wrong, and try to slow down the hectic pace. Hopefully you have parents who have instilled in you a sense of self-worth--a knowledge that you are special and important, and that you deserve the time to get to know someone before getting physical.

   Approaching Sex

   • Be smart. Be educated. Be protected. The hormones may be leading your desire to have sex with your partner. You have to be ready emotionally. You also have to have birth control. Even if you aren't even considering sex yet, it's best to visit your doctor or clinic and get educated and outfitted with birth control. Not that you should immediately run out and use it--but having it will help you be protected when the right time does arise.

   Heartbreak

   • It may seem impossible that the current love of your life may not love you anymore. It happens. When you're first testing out the waters of love, crushes can come and go. It can leave you feeling like you never want to love another person. Every person you love will mean something to you. You're at the bottom of a ladder, and each step is meaningful in your growth as a loving human being. Things that are meant to be will happen - if someone dumps you, it is not the end. If that person is important, and you two are meant for each other, you will find each other again. Keep your sense of humor, and your close friends and family around you. They know how special you are, and in time you'll remember how special you are too.

(W.F.Net )