Scarleteen

I’ve been going out with my boyfriend for a few weeks now, and everything is going really well. We really like each other, and have gone on regular dates. But now, where I go to school, it is getting really cold - snow weather, almost. Normally this is fine, and we could just move our dates to inside, but we are at a boarding school, and there are a lot of restrictions around COVID-19. We can only go out to a few restaurants, for example. Also, we are in separate boarding houses and aren’t allowed to go inside each other’s common rooms because of COVID-19.

I think this rule doesn’t make sense because we’re already at school with each other for eight hours a day. Also, how do they expect any teens to hang out (and the school does encourage that) if it is literally freezing outside? Should I ask the teachers to make an exception or change the rule? I guess I could also ask my parents to call/email... What should I do? I really want to be able to hang out with my boyfriend and not turn into an icicle.

Hi Hel,

It can definitely be frustrating to try and see partners right now, let alone go on dates. To help us brainstorm, can you give me a sense of what kinds of spaces are open to you right now, aside from a few restaurants?

I emailed the school, and I think they might be allowing interaction in common rooms with regulations. The problem is the village where I am is very small, so there aren’t too many things to do.

That does open up a few more options. What would you two normally do as dates, either things you've done prior to the pandemic or during it?

Most of our dates are just us hanging out in the village. We’ve gone to the docks at night, we’ve been out to dinner, and we’ve gotten ice cream/other sweets. We’ve also just walked around holding hands and stuff. I hope we can be a bit more cuddly inside, and maybe watch some movies or play games - more typical teenage dates.

The school still needs to give us permission, though, so I hope they do that soon.

I'm glad to hear you've had all those options, but I can see how the cold weather is going to intervene with them. Unfortunately this is a tough time for dating, and a lot of us are forced into spending more time with our partners through phone or video calls. I know it's not what anyone wants to hear, but we have to adapt, and it really does help strengthen communication for most couples. I'm also thinking if the school has large indoor spaces (such as a gym) where students can safely and responsibly hang out in small groups at a time, that could be helpful! Has the school responded to you yet?