Milford couples give relationship advice

With Valentine’s day right around the corner, relationship talk is at an all time high. With that, the question arises: What makes a good relationship? To get to the bottom of this, I asked people in different types of relationships for their advice. Some that are dating people from different schools, different ages, and even some have been dating for all 4 years of high school. Right off the bat, a couple of words that they used to describe a good relationship were: communication, quality time, comfort and happiness.

Every type of relationship has different dynamics. One of the more common types of relationships in high school is dating someone from your school. Senior Ethan Phipps, who has been dating his girlfriend, Lily Gatesman, for two years says, “I feel like it’s easier being at the same school because you get to see each other sometimes, which is nice.” For couples that don’t go to the same school, Phipps offers some advice, “Communication and constantly talking to each other to make sure that everything is good is important.”

Sometimes it can seem difficult to date someone who goes to a different school than you. Senior Audrey Verkerke has been dating her boyfriend for seven months and this year, he is in college. “If you’re dating someone from a different school or even someone in college, they’re going to have a different life than you,” Verkerke said. “But it’s important to remember that it’s okay that you guys are going to be doing different things and that there is going to be change.” Having a relationship with someone from a different school can be tough. Verkerke’s biggest piece of advice is, “Making sure you’re on the same page about things and knowing that you can’t just walk out when things get tough.”

Another common relationship in high school is dating someone from the grade above or below you. Senior Jack McIntyre has been in a relationship for eight months. Something that he thinks is important when dating in a different grade is to make sure you’re friends with their friends. “Going to the juniors’ parties and stuff,”  McIntyre said “Because she’s friends with some seniors, so I want to make sure that I’m friends with some juniors.” In all types of relationships, it’s often important to make sure you get along with your partner’s friends.

Something that can be rare in high school is dating for all 4 years. Seniors Brooklyn Wolcott and Abbie Openshaw have been dating their boyfriends, London Pavlak and Luke Siterlet, respectively, since freshman year. They both gave good advice when they were asked how they  kept their relationships strong and healthy. “Doing things we both enjoy is important,” Wolcott said. “Like actually going out, instead of just hanging out at one of our houses.” Something just as important as that is, “Making sure that over time you get comfortable with each other,” Openshaw said.

If you are in need of more relationship advice, you can check out theknot.com to find some advice from professionals. Although being in a committed relationship can be nice, it’s also important to remember that it’s okay to be single. Working on yourself is just as important as working on a relationship. This advice also applies to friendships as well. In any relationship, friends or more, these tips can be beneficial.