Tips on Summer Relationships

Now that summer vacation is around, you may be getting back together with friends and meeting new people. Maybe even meeting someone you want to get into a relationship with. But sometimes you are in a situation where you are not sure if this person is exactly what you want. I have some tips on how to get through this type of problem.

-Try to talk with this person and get to know them better: If you are just meeting it is okay to text them often. While you text, try to ask them questions that you feel are important in a relationship and see if any red flags come up in conversation. Then after you get more comfortable, you can hang out a few times and again try to see if any other red flags come up.

-While you are talking to this person, make sure the feelings are mutual: Don't let anyone waste your time if you figure out they don't like you as much as you like them. This just sets you up to have your heart broken. Also, do not allow the person to just use you for things, such as sex, just because you like them. If you find these things happening to you, I would suggest just ending the relationship as quickly as possible. You deserve better than that!

-Ask this person's friends for advice: Go to the source to try and find honest answers about this person in question. After all, their friends could know a lot more about them than you do.

-If you really aren't sure about this person at all, get a critical review from a friend: Sometimes, because we a like a person very much, it makes it harder to see the flaws that they have. If you find that something seems off about a person you are interested in, go talk to a friend. Not just any friend though, find the one that will be completely honest with you no matter what. (Because just getting a supportive/really nice friend is really not going to help this issue since they will tell you what you want to hear.) Get a critical friend who will be honest, but not just be nit picky about everything. (Like he hates his nose and that's why you can't date. No, choose someone who will really listen.) Tell this friend your concerns and let them read some of the things you have said to each other. Even have the person meet the friend if you want. Then if your friend confirms the doubts that you had about them, it will be time to make a decision. Make the decision that does you justice!

~Katrina