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10 Signs You’re Ready For A Relationship

Meg Malone — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:00:14 +0000

Relationships take some work. They require us to accept a person into our lives and figure out how to balance their needs with our own. It can be a lot of navigate and if the timing isn’t quite right when you enter into a relationship, that can spell disaster.

Usually though, there are some signs that you are ready for a relationship. Often times, they are also things you can think about ahead of time, rather than waiting until you’re already dating someone. Whether you have been in a relationship before or not, here is a checklist of ten signs to help clue you in as to if the present is a good time for you to be in a relationship.

You've Defined Relationship

Do you know what a "relationship" means to you? Because it can mean different things to different people. Before you jump into a relationship, you should have an idea about your definition of relationship. That way, you can share it with your potential partner to make sure you two are on the same page. If you still aren't sure what a relationship is to you, you may want to do a little soul searching before you jump into one and realize your definition doesn't match your partner's.

You've Witnessed Real Couples

We can often get caught up in our dream relationships or what we see on TV, but before a relationship you should have been able to learn and observe about relationships in real world settings. Relationships surround us every day, so even if it's not immediately obvious, just think on what dos and don'ts you've observed from watching your parents, your friends, even your past relationships. You get a sense of real relationship challenges, but also what the good ones look like, too.

You Have The Time

If your daily schedule is packed completely tight, now might not be the best time to jump into a relationship. Dating someone means needing to make time for them, and if you barely have time to do all the things you want for yourself, it wouldn't really be fair. You should stop doing what you love just to be in a relationship, and it's also not to say that you can't be busy and have a BF — it just requires you to take a hard look at how you manage your time and see if it's really possible at this time to commit to someone else.

You've Developed Communication Skills

Communication is so important in a relationship, because it's also the foundation for other aspects like trust and honesty. If you have trouble communicating with people, that could forecast a tough time in a relationship when you need to express how you feel. Instead of throwing yourself into a relationship, just practice being a little more open in your friend and family relationships until it starts to feel more natural so when you are dating someone, you have a solid foundation.

You Can Set Boundaries

It's easy to let a new relationship become your one and only focus in your life. While it's good to share time with this new partner, it's not really a good idea to completely lose yourself in the relationship. You should think about setting and discussing boundaries that let you maintain your own life while sharing in this new relationship. If you haven't thought about what boundaries could look like for you, you may want to think about that before starting a relationship.

You Know Why You Want One

Think about the reasons you want to enter a relationship - is it because you really like this certain person? That's great. However, if you can trace it back to jealousy that your BFF has a boyfriend or you recently got dumped, those seem more like situations where it's less about what you want and more feeling like you need a relationship to prove something. If you're facing that kind of pressure from yourself, now probably isn't right for a relationship.

You're Cool Just With You

Are you able to be single and enjoy time just with yourself? Being able to spend time with just yourself is super important and it can give you a lot of clarity about your hopes, dreams and goals - and knowing these things can make you enter a relationship more clearheaded. Developing a relationship with yourself is important. If you want a relationship simply because you can't stand being single, you may be trying to force something before you are ready.

You're Cool With Sharing

Just as you should be okay being on your own, when you do transition into a relationship, you should be okay with sharing and compromising with them. If you don't feel comfortable with the idea of needing to factor another person into your plans or life, than now probably isn't the right time for a relationship.

You Respect Others' Decisions

Even if you are ready for a relationship, you can't make another person be ready. You have to be both patient to people who are still trying to figure out for themselves if they want a relationship, and understanding if it turns out that's not what they want. A relationship involves another person, so by showing you care about other people's dating decisions actually shows that you are someone who would be supportive for your partner in a relationship.

You Trust Your Gut

The bottom line though is there's no magic way to ever know if you are 100% ready for a relationship. A lot of it also comes down to just trusting your gut. Everyone makes mistakes in relationships, even if they were pretty prepared for the commitment, but the important thing is that you learn from them and you'll be even more ready to handle relationships in the future.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!

When did you know that you were ready for a relationship? What are other signs that you think show someone is ready for a relationship? Tell us in the comments!

Should I Tell My Crush I Like Him?

What You Said About Dealing With Cheating Boyfriends

Meg Malone — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:00:24 +0000

Finding out your significant other is cheating is an emotional experience. You might feel anger, betrayal, humiliation. You may wonder, “so now what?” Do you break up? Do you try to rebuild trust? Maybe right now all you have is suspicions or rumors he’s cheating, but it’s still gnawing at you.

The experience of having a partner cheat won’t be the same for everyone, but unfortunately many of us have dealt with a cheating boyfriend at some point. Look no further than the Gurl comments for proof. Readers have been sharing their experiences about cheating boyfriends, as well as advice on how to deal and what they would do if cheated on. Some have heard rumors about a boyfriend cheating and others are debating if the saying, “once a cheater, always a cheater” is true when it comes to boyfriends.

You can find discussion on all of that in the comments, so here’s a sample of what you all have been talking about when it comes to cheating boyfriends.

From "Ask A Guy: How Do You Know If A Guy Is Using You?"

From "From The Message Boards: Would You Ever Take Back A Cheater?"

From "From The Message Boards: Would You Ever Take Back A Cheater?"

From "My Boyfriend Cheated On Me - Should I Forgive Him?"

From "From The Message Boards: How Can I Get Revenge On My Ex?"

From "I Caught My Best Friend's Boyfriend Cheating On Her"

From "From The Message Boards: Would You Ever Take Back A Cheater?"

From "Confession: I Stalk My Boyfriend's Ex On Facebook"

From "Ask Elizabeth: My Boyfriend Cheated On Me. Now What?"

From "My BF Is A Huge Flirt. How Do I Deal?"

Have you ever dealt with a cheating boyfriend? What did you do? What advice would you over from your experience? Tell us in the comments!

Can Cheating Ever Be Accidental?

Straight Talk With Shallon: My Crush Is Moving – What Do I Do?

Shallon Lester — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:00:37 +0000

Source: Shutterstock

Big changes afoot, girls! Since I’m coupled up (aka boring), I’ve decided to focus on giving you darlings love advice rather than prattling on about my own (boring) love life! If you didn’t know, I post romance advice vids to my YouTube page so I thought hey, why not share it with my favorite girls?! But beware–I don’t sugarcoat things. We all have friends who just tell you what you want to hear–I’m not that friend. I’m the one who’s going to be honest and help you make the best decisions possible. It may not always be pretty, but it WILL be the truth!

This week, let’s kick things off with this question…

Dear Shallon,

I like this guy who is moving very far away. He knows I like him but hasn’t said anything about it – he’s just ignores the subject. We talked last night and he didn’t say anything about it. I even brought him cookies for his birthday. He is moving at the end of the summer and he is 15 and I’m 14 we are both in 9th grade. What should I do? Should I just leave it be?

Please help!!

–Emma

My Baking Beauty Emma,

The best guy advice I’ve ever received came courtesy of my dude friend, Matt, who explained that contrary to our belief, there is no such thing as “the shy guy.”

“If a guy knows you’re into him, it doesn’t matter how “shy” he is – if he’s into you, he’s going for it. Plain and simple,” he stated. “This whole ‘Oh he’s just bashful’ thing that girls tell themselves is BALONEY. It’s basically this ghost story that works against you and keeps you hanging on to a guy that needs to be cut loose.”

SHY IS A LIE!
Source: Shutterstock

I think you know where I’m going with this – your crush isn’t into you. I know, this is terrible, hurtful news, but I want you to walk in the light of the truth and not waste your time chasing someone who isn’t giving anything back to you. From what you say, he’s had PLENTY of opportunities to go for it and make a move and if he hasn’t, then either he just doesn’t want to or he’s too much of a wuss. Whatever the case, you’re better off using your energy – and baking talents – on someone who is going to pamper you, too!

And while it might be tempting to keep in touch with him after he moves, really, what’s the point? Guys are very much “out of sight, out of mind” creatures – if he hasn’t fallen for you by now (which is ridiculous – you’re amazing, I can just tell!), he probably won’t when he leaves town.

So here’s what you do: use this guy kind of a practice crush. If you’re looking to brush up on your in-person flirting skills, make him your guinea pig. Or if you (like me) have a hard time being “just friends” with guys, chat him up on a totally platonic level. What’s the worst that could happen? He’s leaving soon so any embarrassing gaffes you may make will get packed up and shipped out right along with him.

Dating and dealing with guys is just like anything else – you have to practice to be good at it. Ditto with baking, but it sounds like you’ve got that one down!

Feel free to leave your love Qs in the comments or drop me an email to AskShallon@gmail.com and follow me on Twitter and Instagram @ShallonXO

Is he busy or blowing you off?

8 Ways To Be A Pro At Compromise In Your Relationship

Meg Malone — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:53:37 +0000

When you become a duo, you have to stop only thinking for one and start focusing on how to compromise. It can be a hard thing to try and adjust to, but it’s often important for the sake of your relationship. That said, you don’t want to always be putting your partner’s needs ahead of yours every single time.

There are some things that you shouldn’t compromise on – namely those deal breakers you may have or anything that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. In those situations, stick to your gut. However, a lot of times you may find yourself with a different idea for a date night or wanting to go to different events. The only way to both make sure you have a good time is to compromise. Here are eight tips to help you figure it out:

Express Your Ideal

If it's going to be a real compromise, it's going to need some honest input on your part. Start off by communicating your ideal situation. Here's an example: you want to spend your anniversary at your favorite restaurant for dinner and the new Nicholas Sparks movie with your guy. Being honest gives your partner a chance to hear what's important to you, and he can factor that in when brainstorming a compromise.

Listen To His Wants

After you explained what your ideal anniversary date would look like, now it's his turn. Make sure you are actually listening. There could be some good ideas in there to incorporate that would make your compromise even better than your original plan. Overall, compromising is about two people, so it's important to hear what he would like to do before you start figuring out a plan.

Think About Flexibility

You now have said your piece and heard your BF. The next part is to think about what you're willing to be flexible on. What is most important about your ideal situation and why? List those out to put the most important elements of your idea in perspective. From there, you can see what elements are more up for swapping with your boyfriend's plans (and he should be doing the same).

Mash-Up Your Plans

So you feel most strongly about going to dinner where you had your first date, and he feels strongly about going to this concert. A good compromise could be to put the movie on hold and agree to grab dinner together before heading off the concert. In this case, you get part of what you want, he gets part of his plan. Mash-ups though work great not just for specific nights. Maybe another issue you have is always hanging out with his friends or your friends. Why not try hanging out all as one big group? Blending together your mutual interests and ideas (and even friends) is a great way to reach compromise.

Schedule It Out

Another option is to compromise on timing, rather than activities. You really want that dinner and movie combo, but you're flexible on the exact night you go. Plan to do his ideal date with the concert this weekend, and then schedule your date plan for the next weekend. It lets each person get their way, without you feeling like you had to totally give something up to make it happen. Patience is a great tool for compromise.

Celebrate What You DO Get

A compromise might mean being flexible with your plans, but in the end, it makes sure everyone is happy. If you get to choose the movie and he gets to pick the dinner place, don't spend all of dinner pouting or wishing that you went to your pick instead. Instead focus on the positive outcomes from the compromise. You're getting to see that movie AND with your favorite person! By shifting your definition of what "getting your way" means, you'll be much happier in the long run.

Reflect On The Compromises

You went through with your compromise plan. How do you feel about it after the fact? Was it successful? Awesome! It sounds like that strategy worked for you guys. Maybe though you feel like you gave up more for your BF's plans. You don't want that kind of resentment brewing in your relationship. Compromising is an art and takes a little practice with the give and take. As long as you are both open about what you want but also open to working things out, you're on track to be a compromising pro.

Remember Those Dealbreakers

Compromise is good in a relationship to make sure both people feel like their opinions are heard, but it's important to stress again that it's okay to have a few things that you won't budge on. If your BF is trying to get you to make a compromise when it comes to something like how far you guys go physically, that should be a big red flag. Some things shouldn't be compromised and if you feel pressure to compromise on those things, you may want to start reconsidering the relationship.

Do you think being able to compromise is important in a relationship? What are your tips for compromising with your partner? When do you think you shouldn’t compromise? Tell me in the comments.

10 Ways To Save A Relationship

Ask A Guy: How Do I Know If My Boyfriend Is Still In Love With His Ex?

Ethan Fixell — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:00:02 +0000

7 signs you’re in a rebound relationship

Dear Ethan,

My boyfriend and his ex broke up a little over a month before he met me. We’ve been together for a few months and usually things are great. But sometimes I feel like he might not be over his ex yet. He gets weird when her name gets brought up and I’ve caught him checking out her Facebook. How do I know if he’s still in love with his ex?

The fact that your boyfriend “gets weird” when his ex’s name is brought up isn’t exactly encouraging – but it’s not a certain indication of any funny business, either. Previous relationships can be complicated, so even if he does still harbor certain uncomfortable feelings for her, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s still in love.

A similar argument applies to the Facebook-checking. Hey, even I still check my ex’s profile once in awhile, and I’m not in love with her… I SWEAR, ALRIGHT!?!?!! A casual glance at an ex’s social media accounts usually has more to do with curiosity and nostalgia than anything else. If he’s checking it every day, however, it might be an indication that your boyfriend hasn’t yet let go of her. Any more than that indicates that you might as well get a restraining order now, because he’s coming for you next.

Since I don’t know you or your boyfriend personally, try testing yourself with the following questionnaire of potential additional signs:

-Has he ever openly compared you to her in discussion?
-Do they still talk on the phone on a regular basis?
-Does he often have trouble going places or doing things that remind him of her?
-Has more than one close friend reported mutually flirtatious behavior when you’re not around?
-Does he have trouble hearing news of her dating other people?
-Do they still hang out on a regular basis? (give yourself 2 checks for this one)
-Has he slipped up and murmured her name in place of yours more than once? (give yourself 2 checks if this happened in the bedroom)

If you can answer yes to three or more of these questions, you might have a problem. Even if he swears they’re just friends – and they very well may be in his mind – he might not be the one in love! In which case, you might have a very different – but equally unhealthy – situation to address.

Finally, remember that the strength of all relationships ultimately depends upon trust. Treating your boyfriend as “innocent until proven guilty”, you need to be able to take what he says at face value. Give it some time, and hopefully, with a bit more experience together, you’ll soon find it easier to trust one another without exception.

Good luck!
Ethan

Ethan Fixell is a writer and comedian from New York City best known as one half of comic “dating coach” duo Dave and Ethan. He is also the creator and editor of ActualConversation.com. For more on Ethan, visit EthanFixell.com…or call his mom, Robin.

Are you confused about a guy? Do you find yourself wondering, “What is he thinking?” Tell us everything in the comments! And if you have a question for Ethan, email him at askaguy@gurl.com!

How my mom convinced me I wasn’t a slut

How My Dad Got Me To Stop Dating Douchebags

Caitlin Corsetti — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:46:01 +0000

Source: Shutterstock

I have a knack for dating douchebags. I don’t do it on purpose!

But because I’m a nurturing person who likes to fix things, I think I naturally gravitate toward less-than-stellar dudes. And I’m stubborn so if someone says “He’s no good for you,” then I’m going to be like “Well, I’ll show you!”

My college boyfriend was not the best person. And by not the best, I mean actually a bad guy. He treated me like dirt.

I slowly started to become the complete opposite of myself trying to make a very toxic relationship work. I started giving up on things that I wanted to do with my life, things I dreamed of since I was a kid.

Source: marinaliamandis

My parents vehemently did not like this guy and were not shy about it at all. But stubborn, I fought to the death to defend my relationship even though I myself didn’t think it was worth defending.

I was defending a person who brought me down, who emotionally and verbally abused me. Someone who just blatantly didn’t care about my well-being or hopes and dreams. It didn’t make sense to me, and it definitely didn’t make sense to my parents.

Generally, my dad avoids talking about sex and relationships with me. He usually leaves those conversations to my mom.

But when I do have those conversations with him, he always gives the best advice that usually ends with a Seinfeld quote. My boyfriend had come home with me for a week after a tornado ripped through our college town. After he left, things went downhill. We had a huge fight where he said a lot of things that I can’t even repeat.

I like to sit in the kitchen when my dad cooks, even though he always makes me chop onions. That and watching Food Network together is usually how we bond. I was being pretty quiet, and he knew I was upset but didn’t want to pry. He also knew that telling me I was dating a jerk wasn’t the right thing to say. Instead he told me something that has stuck with me since that moment:

My dad said I should be with someone who makes me the best version of myself. He said that my mom makes him the absolute best person that he can be (AW!) and that’s how he knew it was right.

At that point in time, watching my dad cook and talk so lovingly about my mom made something click in my head. I realized I wanted that in the future. I wanted to be able to talk to my kids and say that their dad made me the best version of myself.

It wasn’t too long after that conversation that I ended my toxic relationship and stopped dating douchebags. Thanks to my dad, I will never let someone treat my heart like monkey meat again.

Have your parents ever given you relationship advice? Did it help? Tell me in the comments!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!

I Don’t Love My Boyfriend – But I Told Him I Do. Help!

Heather — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:00:12 +0000

Dear Heather,

My boyfriend and I have been dating for a few months. A while ago, he told me loved me and I said I loved him too because I didn’t what else to say and I thought maybe I did feel that way. But… I don’t think I really do love him. I want to, but I just don’t. Saying it feels weird now and I feel horrible that I’ve been lying. Should I tell him the truth? Help!!

Oof. This is where saying “I love you” gets tricky. While you’re certainly not the first person to say those three little words without meaning it, that doesn’t mean you should keep doing it if you don’t feel it. Don’t beat yourself up for this, though. Sometimes our feelings change during a relationship and there’s nothing we can do about that.

However, you do need to do something here. Ask yourself a few questions: do you think you could love him in the future? Do you still even want to date him or are you mainly dating him out of habit or because you feel bad? Do you want to take things a little more slow? Before you do anything or say anything to your boyfriend, you need to seriously consider what you want out of this relationship. Whatever you decide is okay – you just need to make sure it will make you happy.

No matter what you decide, you can’t keep telling your boyfriend you love him if you don’t feel that way. Imagine if you found out a dude was doing that to you for months? You would probably feel pretty stupid in the end. You owe it to your BF to be honest. If you feel like you may start to love him in the future and that you want to give the relationship a chance and take things a little slower, you need to communicate that to him. If you feel like it would be best if you two broke up, then you need to end things.

Just a warning: telling your boyfriend you don’t love him and you never did is never going to be easy. It takes a lot of guts, but I think if you do it, you’ll stop feeling so guilty. If you decide you want to keep dating him but want to be honest, tell him you need to have a serious talk. Explain that while you care about him and like him a lot, you don’t love him. Tell him the truth – you’ve been saying it because you want it to be true, but you really feel like you need more time. If he can deal with that, say you want to take things slower. Don’t make any promises, like “I’ll love you in six months!” If he decides he wants to break up, you need to respect that.

If you decide you want to end things, then do that. Maybe you’re just not ready for this serious relationship right now or maybe this guy just isn’t right for you. Don’t make yourself feel bad about it – breakups happen. It’s better to be happy than to force yourself to feel something you just don’t feel. However, don’t throw this in his face during the breakup. You can explain that your feelings aren’t as strong as his and that the relationship isn’t working for you because of that, but you don’t need to scream “I’ve never loved you” or anything dramatic like that.

Just remember: don’t force yourself to feel like you love this guy just because you feel guilty or just because he makes you feel safe. When you really love someone, you’ll know! You deserve that and he deserves someone who really loves him, too.

take care,
Heather

What’s on your mind? Heather can help! Send her your question at heather@gurl.com

How to reject a friend

What women want and what men want–at the same time!

What Men Want Vs. What Women Want In Relationship Conflicts–And How To Get Both!

Jessica Sager — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:56:32 +0000

What men want and what women want are two really different things! | Source: ShutterStock

What men want and what women want have been debated forever, but a new study narrows both of them down–and chances are, it’s exactly what you’d expect. Relationship counselors say that what men want in a relationship is more sex, while what women want is more communication.

When you’re having problems in a relationship, men often don’t see the signs until it’s almost too late–and instead of talking everything over like girls are said to want to do, guys would rather have a checklist of things to fix and do to get everything back on the right track.

When your relationship is rocky, guys are less likely to work on it. They’d rather just ignore problems in hopes that they’ll go away–and are more likely to talk things out and try to fix it when and only when they think you’re going to leave.

Counselors also said that guys take breakups a lot harder than we do. That can be hard to imagine if you’ve ever had a really bad broken heart, but experts suggest that girls have a broader, stronger support system for tough times like breakups than guys do. They’re a lot less likely to call a pal and cry over cupcakes and a lot more likely to feel isolated and alone–and as a result, guys are at greater risk of suicide following a split. Scary!

Here’s the thing–if what men want is more sex, they really should just talk to you a bit more about your issues. Because guess what makes for better sex? That’s right. Communication! (Seriously.) And that has to go both ways–if you want your guy to do something, like call you more instead of texting, you have to tell him–he’ll be more than happy to oblige if he’s worth it (and if he thinks it’ll help him get laid).

And obviously, what women want is a man who’s evolved enough to care about more than just sex. And that’s the kind of guy you deserve–even if he wants sex, he has to want, respect and dig you as a person in order to get it. Besides, the cooler he is and the more he communicates with you, the better the sex is going to be.

Do you think more sex is really what men want? Is communication really what women want? What do you want most out of a relationship? How do you deal with relationship drama? Tell us in the comments!

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!

7 Ways To Deal With Your Boyfriend’s Family

Jessica Booth — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 00:00:38 +0000

When I was a kid, I was constantly hearing from my parents and every other adult about how annoying in-laws were. I always thought, what could be so bad about your significant other’s family? I wondered, could they really be that annoying? I was very skeptical of this, for some reason. I couldn’t wait to meet a guy and get a second family of my own. It sounded great!

These naive feelings lasted until I started dating a guy who had one of the most annoying families ever. Suddenly, I understood why everyone complained about their in-laws. It’s one thing to be stuck with your own sometimes annoying family, but it’s an entirely different thing to be stuck with a family that you don’t even have to be stuck to. At least your family is flesh and blood!

Okay, so not every other family is annoying. I’m sure there are plenty of in-laws or soon-to-be in-laws out there who are perfectly lovely. But if you’re dating someone who happens to have the kind of family members that make you bite your tongue, there is help. Here are some tips on how to deal with your boyfriend’s family, from the pain in the butt little brother to the over-protective mom:

The Over-Protective Mom

Ugh, over-protective moms are the WORST. JK, not really. Dating a momma's boy can be a challenge because you constantly feel like you're competing with his mom... which is just plain weird. To deal with her overbearing-ness, start by trying to include her once in things once in a while, like eating dinner with her or watching a movie. There's not much you can say to the mom without coming off as kind of a jerk, so if she's really bugging you, talk to your BF about it nicely. He's the one who needs to tell her to back off, not you.

The Creepy Dad

Or the creepy uncle or grandpa... whatever fits. The creepy dad is always checking you out, flirting with you or making inappropriate comments. If things get super comfortable, don't hesitate to say something to your boyfriend about it. And if the dude gets really weird, you can absolutely say something to him - just a polite, but strong, "please don't talk to me that way" is fine. The only other thing I can tell you is to avoid him as much as possible and don't giggle at his "jokes." That will only encourage the creepster.

The Annoying Little Brother

You know those brothers that spend most of their time either spying on you and your BF or following you guys all over the place? Yup, that's this guy. Deal with him by actually giving him some attention - if he wants to hang out with you guys all the time, let him do it some of the time and get on his good side. Then, when you want to be alone with your BF, ask him nicely if he can leave you guys alone or suggest he go play with his friends. I know it's tempting to be mean, but doing that is probably just going to make things awkward.

The Bratty Older Sister

Maybe she's just rude in general or maybe she's feeling protective of her little brother - either way, dealing with an older sis who is constantly nasty isn't fun. How to deal? Kill her with kindness and be the bigger person. Yeah, it's annoying, but maybe one day she'll come around.

The Mean People

It's a huge bummer if your boyfriend's family is just plain mean. The best thing I can tell you is to not take them too seriously and to just ignore them. Don't spend time with them if they're rude to you, and definitely feel like you can talk to your BF about it. You can be mean back if you really want, but that might eventually put a wedge between you and your BF. Continue to be polite, but don't feel like you have to try too hard.

The Weirdos

Maybe your boyfriend's family is a little on the odd side. It might be weird to you, but to them, it may be totally normal. The only thing you can do here is to embrace their weirdness. Don't hate on them for doing things you think are strange - plus, sometimes weird people are the best people. Seriously.

The Ones Who Just Don't Like You

Unfortunately, we're not all going to be liked by everyone. Why doesn't his family like you? I don't know, girl. It's a major sad face moment, but it happens to all of us at some point. If his family seems to be against you for some reason, talk to your BF about it to find out if you ever did something they didn't like. If so, make sure to apologize or make it clear that you want to move past that. Try to get to know them better without being too over-eager. Always be nice and polite... don't give them another reason to dislike you.

Think YOUR parents are strict?! Check out these!

In the end, keep this in mind: you really can’t change your boyfriend’s family. They are who they are! The best thing you can do is learn how to deal with them and accept that they might sometimes annoy you. Remember: you’re dating your boyfriend, not his family. If he’s worth it, then that’s all that matters.

Have you ever had to deal with a boyfriend’s annoying family? How did you do it? What kind of family members did I miss? Tell me in the comments.