Apparently these 8 relationship "rules" are not even a thing anymore. Idk. See if you agree...
1. Your partner has to love your family.
It's no secret. You two AREN'T going to like EVERYONE at the same time but this one is a deal breaker right? I mean bro or sis HATES your partner it's over, right? Well apparent;y it's more of a respect thing. And that HAS to be a two way street. Your S.O. HAS to respect your fam much like they have to have a respect for your SO. Rudi Rahbar, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist who specializes in couples and families. “If one of your family members don’t respect your partner, that’s a different discussion.”
2. You always have to have good sex.
Not always, according to Rahbar. “Sex is like everything else in a relationship—it changes with time,” she says. “Sometimes it’s going to be mind-blowing, other times, meh.” Most relationship experts agree that physically connecting regularly is the most important thing so odds are that a few of those times are gonna be pretty basic.
3. You always have to be honest.
OH ABSOLUTELY about the important things, you HAVE to be honest BUT, and there is a but, you don’t have to point out every single truth there is. “Be honest when your feelings are hurt or when you feel wronged. But honestly isn’t always the best policy,” says Dr. Rahbar.
4. You should never go to bed angry.
I've heard this one ever since I started having serious relationships. "You go to bed angry at each other and that's the beginning of the end". Well, Diana Mandell, dating coach and relationship expert, does encourage couples to resolve issues quickly to prevent prolonging things, some people need space and time to think about things before responding. “This is especially true for people who have reactionary tendencies,” she says. “As long as you and your partner address the issue(s) the following day, it is okay to go to bed upset with your partner.”
5. The guy should always pay.
I, for one, am on board with this one. “Men, just like women, like to know that they are appreciated and that they are being treated,” Dr. Rahbar. “Think of how nice it feels to go out with your man and he pays the bill without blinking. They feel the same way when you do it.”
6. You shouldn’t live together before marriage.
Idk who really followed this one anyway but Bonnie Winston, celebrity matchmaker and relationship expert meets lots of people who have told her that if they had lived with their spouse beforehand, they would never have married them in the first place! The truth of the matter is, if you two are ready to take it to THAT step. Try it!
7. You shouldn’t have friends of the opposite sex.
Unless it’s an ex with unfinished business, Winston recommends allowing your S.O. to have friends of the opposite sex and cultivate these relationships so that they become your friends as well. “When I met my own husband, I had an ‘instant family’ and I met my husband’s ex-wife on the second date at their daughter’s high school graduation party,” she says. “As it turns out, we have a very nice independent friendship as well.”
8. Men who don’t have “money” aren’t marriage material.
“Men still suffer from needing to be the breadwinners,” says Hope. “This rule is a forever rule and may never change, even though women are joining them at the top of the boardroom and there are two financial incomes in the home.” At the end of the day if you two connect on EVERY level but in the back of your mind you're ALWAYS gonna look at the other person like "well, I make more money" then you've got bigger prob;ems. I like to think of a relationship as a "team sport" and you're on the same team. "Play" like it!