How do you know when you like someone enough to go from casual dating to being in an exclusive relationship? It can certainly be tricky. Even if sparks are flying, how do you know if the relationship has legs beyond the ‘seeing each other’ stage? Read on for some tips on taking things to the next level.
Don’t rush into it
The rush and excitement that comes when you’ve just started seeing someone makes it easy to think that they are definitely The One and decide you want to go exclusive immediately. However, remember that this is your hormones talking and it’s important to give it a bit of time to see how things pan out before you rush to commit yourselves.
Define ‘exclusive’
The first thing to do is to make sure you’re on the same page when it comes to knowing what ‘exclusive’ means. If one person thinks it just means you aren’t dating anyone else, and the other person thinks it means you’re completely committed and entering into a long term relationship, you are dealing with different realities.
Talk about it
This is really crucial. When you’ve defined what exclusive means to you as a couple, you need to discuss what happens from here. Talk about how you feel about each other, why you like each other, what you hope for the future and where you want the relationship to go. Being clear about these things now will stop problems occurring later.
Listen to your partner
This isn’t a one way street. Just because you have an idea of what being in a relationship means, it may not be exactly the same as what they think. Allow them to express their hopes and fears without becoming defensive or denying their thoughts and feelings. If you steamroller them into becoming exclusive you’ll soon find yourself single again.
Keep communicating
Once you’ve decided to commit, that doesn’t mean you’re set for life and never need to talk about your relationship again. It’s crucial to keep checking in and resetting where you’re at together. This will help to ensure your relationship remains solid so that you can stay exclusive, happily ever after.
Looking for a delightful date? Join mysinglefriend now!