Kids on Love and Marriage

WHAT EXACTLY IS MARRIAGE?

"Marriage is when you get to keep your girl and don't have to give her back
to her parents!"
      -Eric, 6

HOW DOES A PERSON DECIDE WHOM TO MARRY??

"You flip a nickel, and heads means you stay with him and tails means you
try the next one."
     -Kally, 9

"My mother says to look for a man who is kind....That's what I'll do....I'll
find somebody who's kinda tall and handsome."
     -Carolyn, 8

WHAT IS THE PROPER AGE TO GET MARRIED??

"Eighty-four! Because at that age, you don't have to work anymore, and you
can spend all your time loving each other in your bedroom."
     -Carolyn, 8

"Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife!"
     -Bert, 5

HOW DID YOUR MOM AND DAD MEET??

"They were at a dance party at a friend's house. Then they went for a drive,
but their car broke down...It was a good thing, because it gave them a chance
to find out about their values."
     -Lottie, 9

"My father was doing some strange chores for my mother.  They won't tell me
what kind."
     -Jeremy, 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE??

"On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets
them interested enough to go for a second date."
     -Martin, 10

"Many daters just eat pork chops and french fries and talk about love."
     -Craig, 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE??

"You should never kiss a girl unless you have enough bucks to buy her a big
ring and her own VCR, 'cause she'll want to have videos of the wedding."
     -Allan, 10

"Never kiss in front of other people. It's a big embarrassing thing if
anybody sees you....If nobody sees you, I might be willing to try it with a
handsome boy, but just for a few hours."
     -Kally, 9

THE GREAT DEBATE: IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED??

"You should ask the people who read Cosmopolitan!"
     -Kirsten, 10

"It's better for girls to be single but not for boys.  Boys need somebody to
clean up after them!"
     -Anita, 9

"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't
need that kind of trouble."
     -Will, 7

CONCERNING WHY LOVE HAPPENS BETWEEN TWO PARTICULAR PEOPLE

"One of the people has freckles and so he finds somebody else who has
freckles too."
     -Andrew, age 6

"No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how
you smell ... That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular."
     -Mae, age 9

"I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the
rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful."
     -Manuel, age 8

ON WHAT FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE

"Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life."
     -John, age 9

"If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to
do it.  It takes too long."
     -Glenn, age 7

ON THE ROLE OF BEAUTY AND HANDSOMENESS IN LOVE

"If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it
doesn't hurt to be beautiful."
     -Anita C., age 8

"It isn't always just how you look.  Look at me.  I'm handsome like anything
and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet."
     -Brian, age 7

"Beauty is skin deep.  But how rich you are can last a long time."
     -Christine, age 9

REFLECTIONS ON THE NATURE OF LOVE

"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good
too."
     -Greg, age 8

HOW DO PEOPLE IN LOVE TYPICALLY BEHAVE?

"Mooshy ... like puppy dogs ... except puppy dogs don't wag their tails
nearly as much."
     -Arnold, age 10

"All of a sudden, the people get movie fever so they can sit together in the
dark."
     -Sherm, age 8

CONCERNING WHY LOVERS OFTEN HOLD HANDS

"They want to make sure their rings don't fall off because they paid good
money for them."
     -Gavin, age 8

"They are just practicing for when they might have to walk down the aisle
someday and do the holy matchimony thing."
     -John, age 9

CONFIDENTIAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE

"I'm in favor of love as long as it doesn't happen when 'Dinosaurs' is on
television."
     -Jill, age 6

"Love is foolish ... but I still might try it sometime."
     -Floyd, age 9

"Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it.  I been trying
to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me."
     -Dave, age 8

"I'm not rushing into being in love.  I'm finding fourth grade hard enough."
     -Regina, age 10

THE PERSONAL QUALITIES YOU NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO BE A GOOD LOVER

"Sensitivity don't hurt."
     -Robbie, age 8

"One of you should know how to write a check.  Because, even if you have
tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills."
     -Ava, age 8

SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU

"Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores."
     -Del, age 6

"Yell out that you love them at the top of your lungs ... and don't worry if
their parents are right there."
     -Manuel, age 8

"Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers.  You might get attention,
but attention ain't the same thing as love."
     -Alonzo, age 9

"One way is to take the girl out to eat.  Make sure it's something she likes
to eat. French fries usually works for me."
     -Bart, age 9

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF TWO ADULTS EATING DINNER AT A RESTAURANT ARE IN LOVE?

"Just see if the man picks up the check.  That's how you can tell if he's in
love."
     -Bobby, age 9

"Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold.
Other people care more about the food."
     -Bart, age 9

"Romantic adults usually are all dressed up, so if they are just wearing
jeans it might mean they used to go out or they just broke up."
     -Sarah, age 9

"See if the man has lipstick on his face."
     -Sandra, age 7

"It's love if they order one of those desserts that are on fire. They like
to order those because it's just like how their hearts are... on fire."
     -Christine, age 9

TITLES OF THE LOVE BALLADS YOU CAN SING TO YOUR BELOVED

"'How Do I Love Thee When You're Always Picking Your Nose?'"
     -Arnold, age 10

"'You Are My Darling Even Though You Also Know My Sister.'"
     -Larry, age 8

"'I Love Hamburgers, I Like You!'"
     -Eddie, age 6

"'I Am in Love with You Most of the Time, but Don't Bother Me When I'm with
My Friends.'"
     -Bob, age 9

"'Hey, Baby, I Don't like Girls but I'm Willing to Forget You Are One!'"
     -Will, age 7

WHAT MOST PEOPLE ARE THINKING WHEN THEY SAY "I LOVE YOU"

"The person is thinking: Yeah, I really do love him.  But I hope he showers
at least once a day."
     -Michelle, age 9

"Some lovers might be real nervous, so they are glad that they finally got
it out and said it and now they can go eat."
     -Dick, age 7

HOW WAS KISSING INVENTED?

"I know one reason that kissing was created. It makes you feel warm all
over, and they didn't always have electric heat or fireplaces or even stoves
in their houses."
     -Gina, age 8

HOW A PERSON LEARNS TO KISS

"You can have a big rehearsal with your Barbie and Ken dolls."
     -Julia, age 7

"You learn it right on the spot when the gooshy feelings get the best of
you."
     -Brian, age 7

"It might help to watch soap operas all day."
     -Carin, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

"When they're rich."
     -Pam, age 7

"It's never okay to kiss a boy.  They always slobber all over you ... That's
why I stopped doing it."
     -Tammy, age 10

"If it's your mother, you can kiss her anytime.  But if it's a new person,
you have to ask permission."
     -Roger, age 6

HOW TO MAKE LOVE ENDURE

"Spend most of your time loving instead of going to work."
     -Dick, age 7

"Don't forget your wife's name ... That will mess up the love."
     -Erin, age 8

"Be a good kisser.  It might make your wife forget that you never take out
the trash."
     -Dave, age 8

"Don't say you love somebody and then change your mind ... Love isn't like
picking what movie you want to watch."