The holidays have come and gone, not to mention good old cupid day has passed us, and this means that the season of love is technically over for the year. For us single pringles, we can all take a big sigh of relief as the days of feeling #foreveralone can be put behind us. However, for those who made it through this season as #couplegoals, chances are things are getting pretty serious with you and Bae. Here are the 7 things you’re thinking if you’re in a serious relationship.
1. What are we?
If you spent the holidays/Valentines Day together, chances are you have already established that you’re in some sort of committed relationship, but hey, everyone gets there at their own pace. This is the first stage of establishing whether or not your relationship is serious and it is import for both of you to be on the same page. Whether you have agreed to see each other exclusively or not, having this conversation is necessary to reach the next steps of your serious relationship with this person.
2. Is this what I really want?
Whether its before or after you have the “what are we?” talk, you will also question whether a serious relationship is what you really want. Some advice, it is much easier to take some time to think about this before you actually have a talk about defining your relationship. You don’t want to jump into something and realize later that its really not something you’re ready for. Nevertheless, take some time to think about whether taking your relationship to the next level with this person is something you truly want. Are you ready to not only take into consideration your wants and needs, but the wants and needs of someone else? Really take some time to dig deep within yourself and decide whether you, and only you, are ready to make this sort of commitment.
3. Is this what he/she really wants?
In addition to asking whether this is what you want, you will also be thinking whether this is what your bae wants. Are they ready to take this step with you? Ultimately, there is no way for you to find out how they are feeling about this until you have the “what are we?” talk, but maybe there are a few signs in the way that they interact with you that hint to the answer. Have they already called you their girlfriend/boyfriend? Do their friends consider you two as already dating? Do they put you as a priority? Do they do things and ask things that someone in a serious relationship would do/ask? If the answer to all of these is yes, chances are, they are open to taking your relationship further.
4. WWMPD? (What would my partner do?)
Once you’ve established that you both want and are in a serious relationship, you will start to consider their wants and needs more often. When picking up groceries you might think, “Would [insert bae’s name here] buy 2% or 1% milk?” Or when shopping for clothes you might think about what your partner would tell you to buy. When you are in a serious relationship, your partner’s opinions matter and you will often think about what they would think, when you’re doing things in your every day life. Their opinion and actions are important to you and you value them.
5. Where are things going?
If you have been in a serious relationship for quite some time, you may be thinking about where things go from here. What are the next steps in our relationship and when should we take them? Should we be sleeping over at each other’s place every night? Should we give each other keys to our apartment? Or even bigger, should we be living together? All of these questions will come the longer you are in a relationship with this person. In this time, both of you will have to decide whether you’re ready to take these steps together and if not, then ask yourself why. Do you think its too soon or is there another reason? If you’re not ready to take the relationship further and don’t think you ever will, you need to have a serious chat with yourself and your partner because chances are, there is a reason for that.
6. Are we on the same page?
This is a big question that can often make or break a relationship. Yes, everything may be good and fun at present, but if you’re not on the same page, there can be some major problems. Are you both on the same page on where your relationship stands and where you want it to go? Do you have complimenting views on your values and beliefs in life? Do your paths and views align when it comes to your plans/goals in the future? These are all conversations you must have when you get to this stage in your serious relationship. The key to having these conversations is good communication between you and your partner. You should be able to talk openly at this point in your relationship. Even if you’re not on the same page on some things, you must be able to find a way to compromise and decide whether or not your relationship can still work despite your differences.
7. Wedding Bells/Tiny Tots
Finally, if you’ve made it through all the other stages listed above, the chances are that your relationship is pretty damn serious. At this point you may be thinking about the subject of marriage and kids. Do you see yourself marrying this person? Do you see yourself potentially having kids with them? Sure, it may be far off into the future, but this will definitely cross your mind at some point. It may even come up in conversations with your partner. This is a great way for you to gage whether or not you both want the same things when it comes to marriage and children. If not, you may have a serious problem on your hands. At some point, it may be important to discuss what you both want and see yourself doing in the future because if you’re that serious, you could potentially be spending the rest of your life with this person! Yes, its scary, but you’ve made it this far, so what else can you expect?
Thanks for reading article 2 in my February Love Series! Stay tuned for more articles on the subject of love and relationships this month! Click here to read my last article on 10 Cute Date Ideas for the Winter Season!