By Kelsey Foster

Quick note: I’m hosting a free Love Chat this Wednesday, 4/24 at 6:30. The event will be live online and you can call in or listen on your computer. I will be taking questions and giving away copies of my book and other prizes. To register, visit https://lovechatkelsey.eventbrite.com/

My daughter and her friends are taking their first steps into the world of relationships. She’s in the fifth grade and I have vivid memories of my group of friends taking our tentative steps into “dating” at that same age. Liking someone, passing notes, and sitting together during school activities…innocent stuff but exciting nonetheless.

Given what I do in my career, she hears a lot of talk about dating and relationships. I asked her what she thought was good advice for someone who is dating. First she said, “Be yourself.”

We talked about what that actually means. We agreed that it’s OK to like different kinds of music or have different hobbies; it’s not OK to say you like something you don’t just because you think that will make someone like you more. She decided that “a person needs to know the real you to know if they like you or not.”

We also talked about the importance of how someone treats you and others. That even Justin Bieber himself wouldn’t be worth dating if he wasn’t nice to you. She said, “You have to look beyond just how cute someone is to know if you want to date them. Are they nice to you, how do they treat their friends, are they kind to animals. You know, important stuff.”

Good advice, kiddo 🙂

Kelsey Foster is a dating and relationship coach in Edmonds. She is releasing a new book this month titled Adios, Heartbreak. Find out more information on her website https://www.kelseyfoster.com.