Expert: Jennifer Bailey - 9/8/2009

Question
Me and my boyfriend are juniors in highschool and dated for 10 months and everything was perfect.  Then volleyball season started and my parents didn't want me to have a boyfriend. So I told him that volleyball would have to come first before him. But I didn't  realize that would hurt his feelings. Long story short we ended up breaking up and tried to stay friends but it didn't work out. we realized how much we really still like eachother and can't stay friends but maybe friends with benefits...So now me and him are more then just friends and love being with eachother and we make eachother happy. but my mom thinks he's a jerk now even though she said she loved him when we dated. So we're keeping our "relationship" on the D.L and no one knows except my best friend. I was just wondering if you can give me some advice on this whole situation.  I need to know ways to handle keeping a great relationship before my "boyfriend" doesn't get hurt by not seeing me all the time like we used to because we have to keep this relationship from  my parents. I don't want to hurt him so I feel we should move on. But we still really like eachother and I don't want to lose him and i know he doesn't want to lose me either. He's told me plenty of times. Please help me. Please give me advice. Thank you

Answer
Shannon,
Your parents should have let you stay together, the worse thing they could do is to try and keep you two apart. If your grades start failing, I can understand if they want you to take a break from dating.
Keeping this relationship on the D.L. is up to you, if it works for now, then great!
Your boyfriend needs to just hang in there, things will get better. Make sure he understands that you're not trying to hurt him, that you're trying to make things better.

Hope this helps!

Best wishes
Jen :)