My rules so the Romance isn't "cringe":
- best case: not found in the story at all.
If found: - won't be an issue when MC are still children (friendship is ok, but no signs of "love"). They have to be at least teenagers for me, that I'm okay with the start of a romance.
- not with caretakers/guardian or something alike
- age gap is okay - if the older party wasn't a caretaker/guardian of the younger one.
- No rape or other forced intimacy.