Summarize:

When they are venting about something -- whether it's about their life or about your relationship -- don't turn it into something about you. They're just telling you their feelings. Don't try to read something into it that isn't there. If their feelings trigger something in you, save it for an appropriate time. Wait for a good time to share your feelings, such as after they're calmed down. If you want to be a good boyfriend as a teen, then you have to learn to be honest with your partner. This doesn't mean that you have to tell them every thought that runs through your head, but it does mean that you should be able to tell them if you're in a bad mood, if you're upset because you did poorly on the math test, or that you wish they wouldn't call you every five minutes. Part of honesty is tact. If you have to be honest about something you wish they did or didn't do, tell them in a kind and sympathetic way so they don't get mad at you. Don't pretend that you never had another partner if you did. You don't have to go into all the details with your partner, but you shouldn't lie about your past. You don't have to tell your partner everything -- for example, if you think the girl in your gym class is cute, you can just keep that to yourself. If they find out that you've been dishonest, that will break their trust very quickly. . Part of growing up and being a good boyfriend, as well as being a good son and friend, is learning that you can't always get what you want. You may want to see the new Bond movie with your friends, but they may really want to have a date night -- you have to learn how to pick your battles and how to make sure that both people in the relationship are happy. Remember that it's better to be happy than right. If you think your partner really wants something while you just kind of want it, let them get their way. Be mature. If you and your partner are arguing about something, sit down and make a list of all the pros and cons of each decision. That can help you both get perspective on the situation. Make sure that both people are compromising. It's not a real compromise if you always end up getting your way, or if your partner always ends up getting what they want. Learn to take turns. Maybe you can pick the dinner place tonight, but they can pick the movie tomorrow. Part of being a master communicator is learning to say you're sorry if you made a mistake. You may think that admitting you're wrong will only make you look worse, but quite the contrary is true. If you acknowledge that you've made a mistake and even apologize by giving them flowers or a sweet note, they'll like you much more than if you ignore the fact that you did something wrong and hope they'll get over it. It's not easy to say you're sorry -- it can be very humiliating or embarrassing. But if you get into the habit of apologizing when you've done something wrong, it will feel much more natural. When you say you're sorry, you should sound like you mean it. Sit down, look into your partner's eyes, and even take their hands if you need to. This will show them that you're making time to apologize. If you just mutter the word "Sorry" as you pass by, or apologize in a text message, they won't take you seriously. It's important to have disagreements from time to time and to work together to find a solution to the problem, but constantly fighting for no reason and with little provocation is a quick way to ruin your relationship. Teenage couples are prone to fighting a lot because they don't have a lot of experience compromising or having serious discussions with people they're romantically involved with, and this does take practice. Whenever you find yourself raising your voice or even shouting, just calm down and take a few deep breaths. You won't resolve anything if you're feeling emotional or heated. If you think your partner is starting a lot of fights, communicate about why this is happening and how it can be changed. If you're kind of annoyed about something minor and have the urge to pick a fight, ask yourself if it's really worth it. Don't let your anger build up -- if you're really mad about something, it's better to communicate about it than to avoid the topic and wait for weeks until so much anger has built up that you feel like fighting.
Don't take what they say personally, especially if it's not about you. Be honest. Compromise Say you're sorry. Don't fight without reason.