So, I decided I had to write a little guide on relationships after hearing about some pretty stupid things that friends of mine have done recently in their relationships. So here are some pretty basic do’s and don’ts of relationships:
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Don’t ever say your girlfriend looks tired. Don’t you do it. You will regret it for the rest of your life, I’m sure. This is always an insult and if there is a reason she looks like she is tired, that means she’s already probably having a bad day, so don’t pour gasoline on the fire. Don’t do it.
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Don’t forget to respond. Yes, sometimes you will forget to respond to a text or a call and a simple explanation should be enough to smooth things over. But if you are constantly messing up, the communication in the relationship will suffer, which means the relationship as a whole will suffer, and it will make it harder for you to survive when/if you hit a rough patch.
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Don’t forget important dates. This should seem like a no-brainer but a friend of mine who shall remain nameless forgot an anniversary, and that ended their relationship (which was a bit rough anyways). Make calendar reminders a week in advance so that you have enough time to get a gift and make something special happen for the big day.
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Don’t ignore/stop paying attention mid conversation. Your girlfriend (and people in general) will get angry very quickly when they think you don’t care about what they’re saying. This goes triple if you are on a first or second date as well, because if you don’t listen and are just staring at them, when they stop talking you better have something good to say back other than, “Sorry what was that?” I’ve had friends tell me that was the point where they knew they didn’t want a second/third date.
- Don’t flirt with other girls. This is hard for me because I’m a very friendly person and apparently sometimes it comes across as being flirtatious. The only bright side to this is that my girlfriend knows how much she means to me and that I would never cheat on her. But that is the quickest way to end a relationship. Loyalty and communication are quite literally the foundations of a solid relationship. Without one or both, it will fail absolutely.
Do’s:
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Do the little things. This may sound stupid, but it’s gold. There’s nothing better that you can do than to surprise your girlfriend with a small dessert or spontaneous date or whatever when they aren’t expecting anything. It shows them that you are thinking about them and most guys don’t do this.
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Do compliment her. I’m not saying every sentence or text needs to be you telling her how beautiful and amazing she is (but if that’s what you do, then go for it), but every so often just sneak a simple compliment in there to know she’s appreciated.
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Do pay for dates. I know some people will roll their eyes at this and start off on a tangent about how we are living in a new age where a girl can pay for herself and spoil her boyfriend, and you’re absolutely right there is nothing wrong with that. But I have yet to find a girl who will get actually mad when her boyfriend pays for a date. Now there are some times when it’s okay to split the bill, but there are also times when you should just take the hit.
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Do become friends with her friends. It’s hard sometimes to get her friends to like you, especially if for whatever reason they don’t think you are the best person for her. If that’s the case, you just have to do everything you can to try and win them over. Not being friends with her friends will never result in a great relationship because she will always be in the middle of a battle that can’t end.
These are just some simple tips guys can do to be better boyfriends. Obviously, there’s a lot that goes into a healthy relationship, but there’s also a lot that guys can do to easily screw things up, so get out there, and stop acting like an idiot.
Photos courtsey of popsugar.com, today.com, stylecaster.com, and eonline.com.