Do you have that friend that sits in Hillman with all of her girlfriends, and her boyfriend, and basically licks his neck while everyone’s trying to study? Yeah, we all do. You know how that feels – so here’s my tip: don’t be that friend. As a girl who has a boyfriend, and as a girl who has watched friends fall into the black hole that a relationship can be, I’m here to tell you how to make your friends feel comfortable when they’re hanging out with you and your guy.
1. Cut the baby talk.
There’s a way to talk to your boyfriend without deteriorating into “Baaaby I wuv you, is there anything I can get for my baaaaby?” It’s not necessary, and you can do it when other people aren’t around.
2. Sit in your own chair.
Until finals week, there will be plenty of seats in the library. I’m okay with you sitting on your boyfriend’s lap when you’re drunk at Pcafe and need someone to stabilize you, but in the Cathedral or the library it is absolutely NOT NECESSARY.
3. Give your friends a heads-up.
If you invite your friends over a girls’ night, but then decide you want to spend the night with your boyfriend, let them know. Don’t just invite them over and let them find you cuddling on the couch with him. Or, sit up! There’s no need to get any comfier than you already are if it’s going to make your friends uncomfortable.
4. Keep the sex in the bedroom.
Don’t lick your boyfriend at the library. Seriously. There are times for that. This is not one of them.
5. Cultivate a relationship between your friends and your boyfriend.
Ultimately, this article isn’t about keeping your friends and boyfriends separate. It’s about preventing your friends from resenting your boyfriend because they feel as though he stole you from them. So bring him to things! But while he’s there, don’t ignore everyone else. Include everyone in the conversation, and limit touching to handholding. Give him a chance to make conversation on his own! If you’re in a big group of people, step away for a few minutes to talk to someone else until he comes to find you. Let him make your friends into his friends.
Being the third wheel sucks. And it is absolutely possible to have fourth, fifth, and sixth wheels to any one couple. Isolating your friends isn’t something you want to do. So do your homework and chat at the library, and save the licking for later. You’ll enjoy it more once your friends aren’t around anyway.
Photo Cred:
http://blog.roomeo.com/2011/04…
http://www.lasisblog.com/2012/…