The relationship thing has always been a question here. I've played 2 firsties, my first one Liz was very too herself, and didn't open up really, barely even to her best friend Rian who turned out to be a far off cousin. She didn't even consider boys until she was like 15 or 16. Each guy she thought as a friend that she met and nothing more.

But JD from the start was a ladies man, he flirted and knew that the girls liked that. When he was asked to be a boyfriend to someone he jumped at it right away, but remained a flirt But then he was hurt of course, and this went on every term from there on. He'd find a girl and lose her within a few months.

I agree with the fact that 11 year olds even up til 14 and even sometimes 15 don't really understand what a relationship is. JD didn't he just thought it was fun to be able to say he had a "girlfriend".

TJ was more of the person who thought boyfriends just got in the way, she started flirting a bit in her 5th year but that was more on a dare to get back at the guy for teasing her. It wasn't until the holidays before her 7th year she'd considered having a boyfriend and not til at the end of her 7th year that she actually had a "real" boyfriend.

Now Isaac is a little different and that's where I said above "sometimes 15 that they don't really understand what a relationship is." He's finding what love really is, he just turned 16, and is finding that love doesn't nessarily mean just a feeling, he has a girlfriend that has some problems and he's finding that the problems don't matter, he's more concerned about her and how to help and look past those problems.

I have 3 children (2 girls - 14 1/2 and 11 and a boy 13), and am watching as they grow considering boyfriends and girlfriends. My 11 year old scoffs if you ask if she has a boyfriend and rolls her eyes when my older daughter teases her about a boy looking at her she yells no and gets irritated. My 13 year old honestly could care less about girls at the moment.

And my oldest daughter at 14 1/2 has no clue even yet. She has a new "boyfriend" every week it appears and when I ask if she's held hands or kissed him. She shrugs and says I held hands today but not yesterday, but ewwww for kissing. I ask her why she has a boyfriend and she says because he asked me to be and he's nice. That's what most kids this age think of bf's and gf's. I'm not saying all, like my charrie Isaac above has a bit of a difference. But he's also had to grow up faster, especially if your charrie is an only child or the oldest of bunch of siblings.

That's just my 2 5 cents