Parents

[GuardianofSecrets]

I'm not sure how to tell my parents I have a boyfriend.. Or that I met him online.. That would lead to more questions and trying to tell them I'm depressed cos I met him on here and it's long-distance and... yeah. He tells me not to worry about it, but I can't help it. I know I'm just a teenager but we really love each other. It's not some schoolgirl crush, I love him with all my heart and I would love to spend forever with him. I'm the only girl and I'm the youngest and Idk how my parents will react. Any advice?

[Celyn]

Hey Lexie,

It’s good that you want to be honest with your parents. I’d suggest finding a time when your parents are calm and approach them then. You could say that you were talking online, and became close, and so he is your boyfriend. They might ask you where you met online, and I know it might be difficult to say here, but remember that TeenHelp is a positive place to get help and support. Also, if you do admit that you are depressed, your parents might be able to find ways of helping you. Try thinking about what you would say and how you would say it, and perhaps practice it.

That said, it might also be a good idea to think of how your parents might react, particularly if you think they might give a negative reaction. They might worry that talking online is dangerous because you don’t actually know the person behind the screen, and they might worry about ‘sexting’. If you do tell your parents how you met your boyfriend, you could show them the site and in particular this. Since it’s a long distance relationship, and your parents can’t meet your boyfriend, do you think you could skype chat/FaceTime with him and let your parents get to know him more? Also, they might be concerned that you are young, and they want to protect you and not let you get into any trouble, so it might be worth thinking about how to respond if your parents disagree with you dating.

Best of luck!

[Will35]

Being honest to parents is a good behavior. But I would suggest to tell them when you already meet this guy.

[BreathingIn]

It's the best choice to be honest with your parents! I know very well of the place you're in -- I met my bf online and worried so much about breaking the news to my parents. It was scary leading up to it, so don't think about it too much. Make plans to go out to eat with them and tell them there. People are at ease when they're eating Haha

Think of what you're specifically worried about. Figure out how to ease that worry. Usually going out to a restaurant will ease those worries because you know your parents can't get too mad in public, if you worry that they will get mad. Chances are they won't, but being out of the house will help your worries!

Parents are going to naturally worry about their children, especially if you're the youngest and they're girl. So this is a transition for both of you, and you can help them through it. Tell them about him, as much as you're comfortable saying. Ease them into it, little by little. Eventually they will be comfortable, it takes time, but know it's natural for them to be concerned.

All the best You'll do great