Do you like looking at funny pictures on the computer or a phone? Some of these pictures are called romantic love memes. These are silly drawings or photos about boyfriends and girlfriends. They show people holding hands and loving each other a whole lot.
Sometimes, these pictures make love look like a big, magic fairy tale. They make it look like love is always crazy and wild. But love in real life is not a silly picture on a screen.
Before I found my very good partner, I let some bad boys trick me. I looked at too many romantic love memes. I thought the bad boys were good because they acted like the boys in the funny pictures. But they were not good at all.
A bad boy would come along and act super nice at first. He would talk to me all day long. He would say, “You are the best girl in the whole world!” He made me feel very special. I fell for his trick. I thought it was real love. The romantic love memes said love feels big and fast. So, I thought this fast, crazy feeling was good.
But it was just a trick. He was playing a game with my feelings.
Here is a big secret I learned: Bad people do not look like scary monsters. They have nice smiles. They look just like the happy people in the romantic love memes.If you are a kid who always wants to make other people happy, you have to be extra careful. Bad people know you are nice. They know you do not like to fight. They will use your nice heart to play a mean trick on you.
Let’s talk about how to spot a trick. You need to know these two rules.
Rule Number One: They Never Say Sorry
Look at how a person acts when they make a mistake. Do they say, “I am sorry. I did a bad thing”?
A bad friend or a bad boyfriend will never say sorry. If they drop a cup and break it, they will say, “Why did you put the cup there? You made me break it!” If they yell at you, they will say, “You made me mad!”
It is always your fault. Never theirs.
When this happens, your head feels funny. You feel mixed up. You spend hours trying to explain your side of the story. Romantic love memes never show this hard part. They do not show people fighting about who broke a cup. But in real life, saying sorry is very important. If someone will not say sorry, they are not safe to be around.
Rule Number Two: They Only Play When They Want To
Think about a friend who has a fun game. But this friend only wants to play when HE is happy.
If you want to play, he says, “No, go away.” But if he wants to play while you are eating dinner, he gets mad if you say no. He wants you to stop eating and play right now.
Because you like him so much, you wait around. You stop playing with your other friends. You sit and wait for him to be ready. Waiting makes your tummy feel bad. It makes you feel scared that he will leave you.
Romantic love memes make it look cute to wait all day for someone. They say it means you really love them. But it is not cute. It is not fair. He wants to be the boss of you. He wants all the power. That is a very big trick. A good friend plays fair. A good friend wants to play when YOU want to play, too.
You Are Very Smart
You are a smart and good person. Do not let silly pictures on a screen tell you how to be treated. Love is not a trick. Love is not mean. Love is safe. Love is playing fair. Love is saying sorry when you make a mistake.
Do not let anyone treat you like a toy. Forget the romantic love memes. You can make your own happy story, and it will be way better than a picture on a phone.
