By Freshman Louisa Richardson
One of the perks about being at a school like Palm Valley is that we go all the way from preschool to high-school seniors. This means, with all these ages, interviewing is really fun. I have found with past surveys that the answers to questions vary quite a lot depending on the age of the interviewee. When asking a rather silly question (at least in the little ones’ eyes) like, “Do you have any relationship advice,” kids usually start with a few giggles; whereas angry teenagers usually start with an eye roll. I asked a large group of kids, little ones to teenagers, the same question, Do you have relationship advice for new couples? I started with 4th graders, and worked my way up. Some responses were refreshingly wholesome, and some were outright disturbing.
Blogger Louisa
Asked: What relationship advice do you have for a new couple?
And, Answered:
“Keep like a friend!”
This response came from a little girl named Jasmine Linthreum. A sweet 4th grader, who, when I asked her class if anyone wanted to answer, raised her hand really high with a big smile on her face. This response was very heartwarming.
“First, keep a really safe distance before you act, and make sure you always keep a ring, just in case.”
Luke McDaniel answered with this delightful response; he is in fourth grade and took my question very seriously. He seemed to enjoy answering.
“Just tell the person you like to look up, down, to the side, and to the other side, then down again, then grab their chin and kiss ‘em! It worked for me.”
Sheldon Kirsch seems to know a lot about relationships. The fourth grader was extremely confident in his answer; his was the most mature answer in his class–even if his response might not work for the high schoolers.
“They should do a date every week! And, they should text each other during class, but only if they’re allowed. OH OHH make sure you say you love each other on Instagram!!”
Anna Boutine was one of the most enthused kids I asked; she seemed to have a lot of ideas.
“Try to get to know each other and be honest with each other.”
Cleo Antle (fifth grade) here gave some very good advice, with no giggles beforehand. I think we all can learn something from Cleo’s response.
“Don’t change yourself for anybody.”
This response comes from a delightful Sophia after about five minutes of giggles.
“Don’t rush it and take it slow, and be really careful. Also don’t do a reality tv show; I’ve seen what it does to people.”
Mikel Lomsky is the most mature person I have interviewed in any class. His response is very accurate and wise. He is in the fifth grade.
“Just get to know each other before dating.”
Reagan Kaminsky here burst out laughing when I asked her my question. It was very interesting to compare the differences between her and Mikel, as they were sitting right next to each other, in the same grade, same class, and yet their initial reactions are so different.
“Don’t rush and make sure everything is consensual.”
Bella Lua here seems to know what she’s talking about as she is in a relationship. She was very mature. In comparison to the other kids in the eighth grade that I interviewed, she definitely took this question seriously.
“Lick her earlobes, and uhh treat yo girl with pure kindness and make sure to comfort her.”
Raven Sayers (eighth grade) here is definitely right about the last part.
“Don’t pick someone high maintenance. Don’t buy gifts; keep your money.”
Caleb Kassinove (freshman) is absolutely right. He gave a very mature response.
“Do I look like I know anything about relationships?”
Brooklyn Hatrak (freshman) seems like she’s speaking from experience.
“The honeymoon phase doesn’t last forever.”
Olivia Puetz couldn’t be more correct. She is a freshman in high school and seems like she’s already sick of all the public displays of affection.
“No, I don’t have any relationship advice!!”
Ally Bankers (senior) delivered this response over paper, but she certainly wrote aggressively. I would call this response immature, but she may just not be happy to see me.
“Don’t get in one; it ruins sports and your grades. Be really careful and learn how to balance it.”
Arsh Rehman had one of the most mature responses of his class. He is a senior.
“Listen, forgive, and explain your feelings accurately.”
Mr. Satterfield was very mature, and gave an accurate response.
“Be nice and always open minded.”
Jasmine Grace, LS Administrative Assistant, delivered this response with the appropriate amount of seriousness.
After having interviewed at least two people from a wide variety of ages, I have come to the conclusion that relationship wisdom really just depends on the person and their personal experience. Although I got a lot of giggles from the lower schoolers, I also got a lot of giggles from the seniors. As for maturity, I can confidently say that the teachers I asked were definitely the most serious. I think the levels of maturity really vary depending on the person, but once you get past the age of around twenty, you become much more serious. Thank you to all the kids and adults I interviewed!
Leave a Reply