There is no age limit for long-distance relationships! Summer love, online dating on a social network or a forum, people met during a school trip: these are all possibilities of meeting a soul mate as a teenager.
The timing is not ideal and brings its share of constraints: you are young, your parents still have rights over you, still have their say, and you are still dependent on their opinion! So, if you want to see your boyfriend / girlfriend from a distance, you will necessarily depend on your father and your mother who may not make it easy for you. So how do you convince your parents to accept this long-distance relationship?
The Complete Guide to Long Distance Love for Teens
Teenage long distance relationship: how to tell parents?
Telling your parents that you’re in a long-distance relationship when you’re a teenager can be scary, especially if you don’t get along very well with them. Do not forget that your parents are not of the same generation as you : online dating, the love of a person you have never seen, the ease of meeting other teenagers living in end of the world, it doesn’t speak to them and that’s normal . And when we don’t know something, it scares us, and we are full of judgment on the subject!
First think about whether or not to tell your parents. If you don’t plan to see your other half for a while, you can wait a bit: the more time passes, the more credible your relationship will be in their eyes.
To announce your long-distance relationship to your parents, proceed in stages
Before talking about the terms boyfriend or girlfriend from a distance, talk about your partner first and foremost as a person so that your parents know of their existence . Because yes you may have known him/her for months, but if you had never spoken to them before, that’s a lot of revelations all at once!
Put yourself in their shoes and count the new information they had no idea:
“Well uh, I met someone online , it was known on Twitter , and it was there two years since we love and then it comes together for eight months , and moreover on this subject I would like to go to see him where he lives in Turkey during the next summer holidays … you pay me the ticket and you give me your agreement say?
It must be a shock to learn all this, right? There is so much information that one must have the impression of having missed a hidden life of his teenager! A long-distance relationship is already not nothing, so everything that goes around…
Don’t rush to tell your parents about your virtual relationship!
Wait until the relationship lasts so that it will be taken seriously by your parents . If it’s only been going on for a month or two, the chances are slim that they’ll agree to pay you a plane ticket to the other side of the world! The closer the person lives, the more likely they will be in favor of letting you join your significant other for a few days.
How to see yourself in a long distance relationship when you are a teenager?
Do you live in the same country? If so, this will make things much easier (no need for a passport, visa, etc.). But the real value that counts is the number of kilometers between you. When you are a teenager, the lack of mobility is also a factor in a long-distance relationship: even if you only live 50 km from the person, if no train serves your two cities and you have no no car, impossible to see each other! In this case, pass the highway code as soon as you can and why not help yourself with carpooling services. Most remote couples will however have to take the train or even the planeto join his other half. Difficult when you’re a teenager, because you have no money! It is therefore essential to find this resource. Also take into account these tips to organize your reunion well : they will help you to stay within your budget as much as to find ideas.
A teenage long distance relationship is quite a budget
As a teenager, we sometimes forget that a long-distance relationship has a price, which is sometimes difficult for parents to bear . If they are already struggling to make ends meet, don’t force them to pay you a plane ticket 10,000 km away. If they have no particular financial difficulties and agree to pay you a train or plane ticket, that’s great, and you can thank them very much! If necessary, you will have to bear the costs of the trip yourself … which in itself is already quite an experience!
Saving for a long-distance relationship: 16- and 17-year-olds
If you’re 16 or 17 (or working age in your country), why not do a summer job? This will allow you to quickly put aside for your long distance relationship, even teenager. Working on this trip yourself will be rewarding, and you’ll be proud to be able to support yourself! Few teenagers can boast of having set up such a beautiful project with their own hands, and I can guarantee you that this trip will be worth every day’s work!
Saving for a long-distance relationship: 13-, 14-, or 15-year-old
If you are not yet of working age and are in a long-distance relationship then you are 13, 14 or 15 years old, a possible solution is to do odd jobs for your family or your neighbours : baby-sitting, walking the dog, dish chores, cleaning, mowing… a way to save money for your long-distance relationship while being a teenager ! Scour the classifieds, or post yourself on different apps to offer your services.
Earning your trip when you’re a teenager
Show ingenuity. You can ask for this trip to be offered to you for Christmas, or for your birthday , or even both combined! Your parents are in despair because you don’t work much at school and fear for your diploma? As a last resort, even if it’s moderately ethical, offer them to move you for your baccalaureate in exchange for a train and plane ticket… which you will only get if you pass! So yes, it may be complicated, but it will allow you to see your boyfriend/girlfriend other than in a distance relationship even if you are a teenager.
Give time to time to convince your parents
If none of these methods are possible or your parents have categorically refused your long-distance relationship, the only solution is to wait for a better time to see you. Maybe it’ll be when you come of age, or maybe your parents will change their minds seeing how involved you are in your long-distance relationship even as a teenager. If your relationship lasts and it makes you happy, they will one day have to reconsider their judgment!
If you can’t see yourself “in real life” yet, don’t be discouraged!
Even though not being able to see your soul mate is difficult, try to make the best of this situation. Find alternatives: applications like Skype, Whatsapp or Snapchat will allow you to keep in touch, either by calling you in video or by sending you photos on a daily basis. Don’t overlook the little touches either.
For example, you could make a gift yourself for your boyfriend or girlfriend from a distance , even if you are a teenager and have a small budget! After all, it’s often the intention that will affect your partner, not the price of the gift . Or would you prefer to carry out different original activities remotely, which will allow you to get to know each other better and have fun together!
Don’t forget either that you will not be forever teenagers and dependent on your parents. Do your best to make your couple last long enough to be able to find you two, and live together later.
And you, how did you announce your long-distance relationship to your parents? Did they take it well?