Have you ever seen a phone? A phone is a little screen. You can touch it. You can play games on it. You can look at pictures. Grown-ups look at pictures on their phones a lot.
Some pictures are very funny. Some pictures have cats in them. Some pictures have dogs in them. These funny pictures are called memes. Memes make people laugh.
But there is a special kind of picture. It is called romantic love memes. What are romantic love memes? They are funny pictures about grown-ups liking each other. Grown-ups call this dating. Dating is when two grown-ups go out to eat. Or they go to a movie. They want to see if they can be best friends.
Romantic love memes show big hearts. They show flowers. They show people hugging. They are nice to look at. But they are just pictures. They are not real life.
Today, we will talk about these pictures. We will talk about how grown-ups can make good choices. Making good choices is very important.
Looking With Your Eyes
When you meet a new friend, you look at them. You see if they smile. You see if they are nice. You have to look very close.
Grown-ups have to look close too. When a grown-up meets a new person, they must think. They must not just play. They must use their brain. This is called being careful. You are careful when you cross the street. You look both ways. Grown-ups must look both ways when they pick a friend.
Sometimes, people wear a mask. Not a Halloween mask. A pretend mask. They act very good. They act very nice. But it is just a trick. Romantic love memes show people acting perfect. But no one is perfect. The mask will fall off later. You have to wait and see what is under the mask.
The Candy Trick (Too Much Too Fast)
Let’s talk about a bad trick. Imagine a new boy comes to your school. You say hi. The boy says, “Here are one hundred candies!” He gives you a big toy. He says, “You are my best friend in the whole world!”
Is that nice? Yes. Is that weird? Yes! You just met him. He does not know your name. He does not know your favorite color. How can he love you so fast? He cannot.
Grown-ups do this too. They see romantic love memes that say “give her everything!” So they give too much. They buy big gifts. They say “I love you” on day one. This is a big red flag. A red flag means stop. A red flag means danger.
Why is it bad? Because it is too fast. Real love is slow. Think about a tiny seed. You put it in the dirt. You give it water. You wait. You wait a long time. Then it grows into a flower. Love is a seed. It takes time to grow.
If a grown-up gives you one hundred candies on day one, what happens on day ten? They might take all the candies back. They might get mad. They might be mean. They just wanted you to say yes. They just wanted to win.
So, if a grown-up tries to go too fast, they should stop. Slow down. Wait. If the person gets mad, they are not a good friend. Walk away.
The “Me Me Me” Game
Let’s talk about another bad sign. Think about playing with a toy. You have a block. Your friend has a block. You say, “Look at my red block.”
A good friend says, “Wow, your block is red! My block is blue.” You talk about both blocks. You share. You listen.
A bad friend says, “Look at MY block. MY block is the best. I am the best. Look at me. Look at me.” They do not care about your red block. They only care about themselves. They play the “me me me” game.
Grown-ups do this on dates. A bad grown-up will only talk about themselves. They talk about their car. They talk about their job. They talk and talk and talk. They do not ask questions.
A good grown-up will ask questions. They will say, “What do you like? How was your day? What makes you happy?” They want to know about you.
Romantic love memes show a boy looking at a girl. But looking is not enough. He must listen to her. He must care about her words. If a grown-up only talks about “me me me,” it is a red flag. They do not want a friend. They want someone to hear them talk.
Being a Good Friend
You are a kid. You do not go on dates. You do not need to look at romantic love memes yet. But you can learn from this. You can be a good friend right now.
How do you be a good friend?
- You share your toys.
- You listen when your friend talks.
- You do not give one hundred candies to trick them.
- You are kind every day, not just one day.
- You take off your mask. You are just you.
If you are a good friend now, you will be a good grown-up later. You will know how to love the right way. The slow way. The true way.
Pictures Are Not Real
Phones are fun. Memes are funny. Romantic love memes make us smile. But we must remember: a picture is not real.
A picture of a fast car is not a real car. You cannot sit in it. You cannot drive it. A picture of a big pizza is not a real pizza. You cannot eat it. You cannot taste it.
A meme about love is not real love. Real love is not a picture on a screen. Real love is helping someone. Real love is being nice when you are tired. Real love is listening. Real love is slow and safe.
Do not look for a meme in real life. Look for a good heart. Look for a kind face. Look for someone who asks you questions. Look for someone who likes your red block.
The End
So, remember the rules. Look both ways. Go slow. Watch out for the candy trick. Watch out for the “me me me” game.
Grown-ups have a hard job. They have to pick a best friend for life. But if they are smart, they will see the red flags. They will not let a funny picture on a phone trick them. They will want the real thing. And you can want the real thing too. Be true. Be kind. Be a good friend. That is the best way to love.
