What Do Teenage Boys Look for in a Girlfriend?

A sweet and inviting smile may attract the guy in your eye.
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Your friends say that you're cute, your grades show that you're smart and your mom says that your personality is super-sweet. So what gives when it comes to getting a guy to notice you? Understanding what teenage boys look for in a girlfriend can help you to play up your finer points and go from crush to couple.

1 Give and Take

Even though a teenage boy is perfectly capable of -- and most are willing to -- listening to you talk about yourself, he also wants some give and take when it comes to supporting each other. It's unlikely that a teen guy has the patience to sit and listen to you gab on and on about your favorite TV drama or a boy band. If you want to impress, or at least interest, a boy, tone down your talking and spend some time listening too. Let your guy get a word in, making your conversation a two-way event.

2 Fun-Filled Days

During the teen years, dating is often more about having fun than it is about getting serious, asserts TeensHealth, a website from the nonprofit Nemours Center for Children's Health Media. While this doesn't mean that you have to be a party girl to attract your guy, he may want to make sure that the two of you have the same interests and enjoy the same activities. If group dates are the norm or a guy spends the majority of time with his best buds, he may look for a girl who fits in with the gang.

3 Attraction Action

Teen relationships are more likely than romances between older, more mature couples to focus on appearance and attraction, reports TeensHealth. Although most relationships -- even those among old folks like your parents -- require some level of physical chemistry, teen boys may put more of an emphasis on this aspect. A teen boy may look for a girlfriend who fits his appearance ideal or who he feels that instant spark of electricity with. This doesn't mean that you have to look like Miss America to impress a guy. Instead, you'll need to fit his specific concept of beauty.

4 He Loves You Just the Way You Are

While some teenage boys may want girls to have specific appearance attributes -- such as a skinny, yet perfectly curvy body -- changing yourself for a guy is never necessary. If you think that you're not getting dates because you don't have supermodel looks or because you're not a cheerleader, you're looking at the wrong type of guy. A real relationship includes respecting each other for who you each are. Although understanding what boys are looking for in a girlfriend can help you to put your best foot forward, it doesn't mean that you should change yourself, your looks or your beliefs.

Based in Pittsburgh, Erica Loop has been writing education, child development and parenting articles since 2009. Her articles have appeared in "Pittsburgh Parent Magazine" and the website PBS Parents. She has a Master of Science in applied developmental psychology from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education.

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