Who Do You Choose - Your Girlfriends Or Your Boyfriend?

Picture the scene- You are discussing with your girlfriend about which movie you're going to see that night, when 'he' calls and asks you to a party. Suddenly all plans for going to the movies are off. Ring any bells?

Sadly, girls often value the new boyfriend over their very own girlfriends who have stuck by them for years. Some girls just accept it, even if they don't like it or feel hurt by it. Others have the strength to be able to communicate to their girlfriend how they feel when they get dumped for 'him'.

By high school, your relationships with girlfriends can be made, or destroyed, by the guys who come in to your life. As you get older, getting a guy's attention or finding a boyfriend may become more and more important and you might find yourself acting out of character, flirting with guys a lot or even sacrificing friendships for them. You may find yourself in the position where either you or your friend is lying or backstabbing others to get the guy she wants, and this can run havoc in otherwise healthy, positive friendships with girlfriends. It is important to realise the importance of great girlfriends and constantly nurture these relationships and not take them for granted. Friendships are like flowers, they need lots of tender loving care to survive.

Respect your friendships with both guys and girls. It simply is not right to "dump" someone because a 'better offer' comes along. Even if that 'better offer' seems fantastic and you really want to do it, or the person asking you out is your 'dream guy', you have to have enough respect for your friends and yourself to be considerate and caring of other people's feelings. And if the 'better offer' gets upset or angry that you won't dump your plans and go with them? Then you need to think long and hard about whether you want to be friends with someone who doesn't want you to have your own life, or can't accept your need to respect others.

During the teenage years, boyfriends may come and go. There will be laughter and there will be tears, there might be heartbreak, too. If you haven't nurtured your friendships with your girlfriends, they may not be there at the end… You have to try and find a balance between the guy in your life and your girlfriends, because, chances are, the girls are going to be sticking around a lot longer than your boyfriend! So, make plans with both your girlfriends and your boyfriend and stick to them. Don't let either one down. Follow through with your promises and ensure you respect all involved.

Try to remember, that most of your girlfriends are going through the same experiences as you when it comes to boyfriends. They probably share similar stories and have an understanding of what you are going through. And that is really important. Talk to your trusted friends about what's going on in your relationships with guys, but also make sure you spend time just being girls. Don't get so caught up in 'guy world' that you find yourself losing the special friendships you once had with your girlfriends.

If you find yourself on the receiving end of a friend who's letting you down time after time… you need to talk about it as soon as possible with her. Wait until you have calmed down and you are in a more positive frame of mind. If you want to keep the friendship with this girl, let that be your guiding motivation, and go in assertively but kindly. Tell her how you feel when she treats you disrespectfully. Ask her to understand how it hurts you. If she is a good friend, she will apologise for hurting you and will stop behaving in that manner. If not, your friendship may be lacking some key elements and it may be time to look elsewhere for your close friendships.

So, don't discard your friendships when "Mister Right" comes along. Take care of your friends. Be thankful for your friends. Treat them as you would like to be treated yourself. And if "Mister Right" suddenly becomes "Mister Very Very Wrong"…. your world won't fall apart, it will carry on and it will get even better because you have a great and supportive group of friends around you!