Anyone feel the same?

[Courtney:)]

I was looking through some of the threads on the forums, and I noticed most of the people on here are in their twenties.
Do people on here tend to not take our relationships seriously because we're still in high school? Or just anyone in general?

I've always been told that I've been pretty mature for my age...all of my friends have been older than me and I always took care of my younger sibling when he was fist born/growing up. It definitely made me grow up a bit too quick.
And my boyfriend is also older than me by two years.

Just curious. Any thoughts?

[enemey96]

I'm just about to turn 16, and my boyfriend is just about to turn 17 (I'm not really sure what grade that makes me, because we don't do grades over here) and almost no one seems to take our relationship seriously. Even though we've been together almost a year we still get a lot of negative comments, and people being extremely negative about our relationship

[Sora1101]

haha I know what you mean I started dating my SO when I was 15 and he was 20, all of my friends that knew about us thought we'd never last, especially long distance but here we are almost 3 years later, you just have to ignore what people say, it doesn't matter what other people think, as long as you're mature enough to handle being in a relationship then who cares what other people think, they don't know you or your relationship like you do.

Although, I've found that on this forum as long as you aren't some whiny teenager complaining all the time and confessing love for each other after dating 2 days or refusing to acknowledge good advice when it's given everyone around here doesn't care how old you are, they will treat you and your relationship with respect. this place is a really good place to be.

[Kiyama]

I can just speak for myself but I take every relationship seriously, regardless of age. I believe in love and love knows no age
Also, I know couples who have been together since high school and still happily together, one actually to be married soon. Of course things change maybe more rapidly in high school years but that is no reason not to take a relationship seriously and whether long distance or not doesn't make a difference to me.

[Shepard-Fowkes]

Although, I've found that on this forum as long as you aren't some whiny teenager complaining all the time and confessing love for each other after dating 2 days or refusing to acknowledge good advice when it's given everyone around here doesn't care how old you are, they will treat you and your relationship with respect. this place is a really good place to be.

This. As long as you aren't being ridiculous, the older members won't mind you at all. They support everybody's successes and call everybody out for immaturity, regardless of age. I've never felt unwelcome here

[notyourexgirlfriend]

I don't think age has anything to do with being able to take a relationship seriously. My SO is significantly younger than me and I sometimes think he takes it much more seriously than I do and I'm a 30something. Well, I take us seriously but he is sometimes more forgiving about things than I am (had a few hard knocks in the past). I really don't look too much into age of couples here. Those of us in LDRs cop enough flak without having to add age into the mix.

[marentora]

I've been searched and ideal boyfriend for me and I finally found him, so I take seriously our relationship. I've never thought like my friends - they're changing their bf/gf really fast. In my opinion, love is the most important thing in life and I searched a bf, who will be with me forever and who thinks similar to me. He has found me and of course has changed my life. I'm so happy with him and he's happy with me. We have plans about our future - university, lifestyle, closing the distance, work, wedding, children, family. My friends sometimes think, that we're crazy and life looks different, but I always keep up my mind and fortunately he keeps up his mind too. The worst thing is my parents thinking. I'm 17 and my boyfriend 17 too, but in September he'll be 18. In my mum's opinion we're too young for love! She doesn't understand, that I fell in love with my soulmate and I'm so happy now! She said, that she doesn't like my trips to him and she would prefer that we meet as little as possible. And I'm only crying, when he's leaving and when I'm leaving, because I stay completely alone without family support. It's really hard... And my mum is so nervous - she's only screaming and I can't refrain from tears ;((( Then she says, that I'm hysterical... And always the same ;((( She has no reason to hurting me... But she's doing it ;(( I'm in the best high school in Warsaw, I have really high marks,I'm writing a geographic competition, I always help her and I'm so close to her if she needs me, but she still can't change her mind... And she's always hurting me with her screaming when I'm crying - she always says, that isn't love, because I'm crying, but she doesn't understand, that after leaving I'm missing him so much and I miss him every day when we're miles apart. She also doesn't understand, that I'm crying, because she doesn't want to understand me and I feel terrible ;//

[lucybelle]

I actually think there's a good amount of 18 & unders on here!

[Courtney:)]

Thank you for everyone's input

[efish1042]

I was recently messaged here by someone who was shocked out of her socks that I was 18. I've always been mature for my age, too. I think you have to be to be a teen in a true LDR. Most teens here are, and if they aren't, they usually aren't here very long. From what I've seen, even if someone appears somewhat immature, they are treated just like any other member here, with respect, until they prove that they don't deserve it. We really give people the benefit of the doubt. But that's just here.
In general? Teen relationships have the immature its-only-a-passing-phase stigma. Being LDR just compounds that because people subject us to a stereotype. Granted, it's a well earned one. How many teens at your school would you really place bets on surviving a healthy LDR? Not many. When we go off to college, the stigma is lessened, but a new stigma of breaking-free-and-experimenting is attached and that doesn't seem to predispose a healthy relationship much less LDR.
Being a teen in a real LDR means maturing, if you aren't already mature for your age, because it takes commitment, patience, and genuine feeling. We are an underestimated bunch with more odds to overcome than some adults. We've just got to ignore them and trust that we can defy the odds. Because we can.

[annie72809]

I definitely don't think people take my relationship seriously because I'm in high school. I think it's a shame, because I wish that everybody could see the beauty of it. But hey, can't control everything. It sucks though.

[lyonsgirl]

I agree with the non-teens who have replied to you.

If you're in a relationship, LD or not, and you act immature, chances are people will treat you that way/not take your relationship seriously. No matter how old you are. If you are mature about your relationship (which to me, most teens in a LDR seem to be more mature about their relationships), then you'll be treated as such. Those not in LDR's will sometimes think "less of" your relationship no matter your age (because they don't understand).

[baileyellaine]

I'm seventeen and he's eighteen and...nobody has ever taken our relationship seriously. My parents are constantly asking me if I'm going to break up with him or what I'm going to do when things don't work out (because the assume that they won't and it's just a matter of time). I think his mother is the only adult that actually believes in us, which really makes me happy in all honesty. And my two best friends (skye_michelle and her SO). I hear all kinds of slurs about it and crap, but I just ignore them. It's like Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's when the song says "Our friends would all make fun of us and we'll just laugh along because we know that none of them have felt this way." And we do laugh. All the time. I think they're just jealous that we all found our perfect half before anyone else did XD