The Long Distance Relationship and Your Teen

Long Distance Teens

As a parent, odds are you probably don’t want to see your daughter (or son)  in a long distance relationship when they go to college. We get it! There are some good reasons why you probably shouldn’t try and give him/her advice on this matter. Here are a few:

• The more you try to push her to break up, the more she’s going to hold on to him and resent you as well.
• You never know, this could be the person he or she’s going to spend the rest of their life with.
• Long distance relationships don’t usually work out. There’s a really good chance they’ll break upon their own without you having to do anything! 
• Being in a long distance relationship in college might actually help her to “stay safe” and make some safer choices.

Be There For Her

Our advice is: if it’s a healthy relationship and he treats her with respect, let it play out.
If you’re supportive and open and caring of what she does, she’s more likely to come to you for support when that break up finally happens. Here’s this week’s Tips on Teens question:

“My daughter is a senior in High School. She started dating a guy this year, and they’re in the ‘throes of love.’ She’s really obsessed with him. He seems like a nice enough kid I guess. Here’s my problem though: they’re going to different colleges. Hers is out of state. She says that they’re going to stay together after they go away, which I think is a terrible idea, and I’ve told her so. I want her to be free and un-beholden to anyone when she goes away. I’m worried she’s going to miss out on good experiences if she’s not ‘present’ in her college life. Any ideas on how I can get through to her?”