This Just Can't Be Summer Love...
May 22, 2016 | Calvin Bryant
As Justin Timberlake rightly said, "This just can't be summer love." Even a world-famous pop star knows there's a difference between love and "summer love." As the summer begins for most of our middle school students, you may see those hormones start to flare up! Girls start to notice boys a little more and the eyes of most boys start to open as the dress code changes.
I've spoken to local teachers and administrators and they also notice a little tension with boys and girls leading up to the last few weeks of school and into the first few weeks of summer. It becomes the last chance for boys to talk to a girl without seeing her consistently over the summer. Or its the last chance for the girl to get that boy to notice her.
These may seem like "just" middle school or high school relationships (and they are!), but they're also real to the students at that moment in time. So it could be a good time to talk about the relationships they will have in the future and how to go about having them. Here are a few articles I find interesting regarding relationships. They're obviously geared towards an older audience, but they can lead to helpful conversations with Middle School students.
- http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/six-traits-to-look-for-in-a-spouse
- http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/10-questions-on-dating-with-matt-chandler
Discussion questions with MS students: What do you think about MS/HS relationships? What kinds of things do you think you'd like in a potential spouse? What are some essential qualities? What are some non-essential qualities?