Lesson 6 120 Copyright 2018 Marline E. Pearson  It’s smart to take your time before getting too involved. It is even more important if you already have a child. It is hard on children to drag them in and out of your relationships.  Although two people may like each other, one may simply not be ready for that level of commitment. He or she still wants to experience other people and places and doesn’t want to close the door to dating other people. Once you decide to break up, make a plan. There are better and worse ways to break up. Conduct a quick brainstorm. Ask the group to quickly identify some really bad ways to break up. Don’t spend too much time. Just get some examples. Add the following if needed: (PP) • Get a friend to tell him or her • Do it through a text message • Change your Facebook status before telling the partner • Send a Snapchat or Instagram of you and someone else • Wait for a fight and give them the blame • Do things to make him or her break up with you • Ignore him or her in the hope that they’ll get the message • Be seen with another person, or worse, get involved with his or her best friend • Say, “We can still see each other, but let’s just be friends.” How many have heard this to cover up the truth, “I’m just not that into you”? It can give someone false hope. Is this fair? If one person still desires a relationship, just being friends can be torture. Pass out the handout Breaking Up Tips (Resource 6d, pg. 127) or use the PowerPoint slide and briefly review: (PP) Brainstorm: Better and Worse Ways Discussion: Breakup Tips