Dating A Friend: 8 Things To Consider Before you Date

When dating, it’s important for you to observe dating rules as they are meant to help you to realize your dream of having a healthy and happy relationship. These rules are especially helpful when you are dating your friend as the risk is usually very high. Some of the rules on dating your friend include;

If you start dating your friend and you are broken emotionally, that relationship will not take off. It does not matter the kind of connection you share with your friend, pursuing love while you are still hurting will only lead to the demise of your relationship. 

It does not mean that since you are now dating a person who knows you well that you should stop taking care of yourself. You should make an effort of taking care of yourself and maintaining your own identity.

Do not be in a rush to have sex as it can complicate things even further, as what you are having is a very different type of relationship and it might take some time before you both get accustomed to the new reality. Always ensure that your emotional intimacy is excellent before going to physical intimacy.

Family plays a very big role in relationships and meeting the parents of your partner for the first time can be a really challenging experience. Since you were already friends, it’s expected that you have already met with your partner’s parents which is a big plus as that part is already done. 

Since you already share friends, in case you were to end the relationship, it would make them choose sides causing divisions to what was once a happy group of friends.  Most of the time, breakups are messy which is why this is one of the things you should expect if things between you and your friend go south.  

When strangers start dating, they usually do not know a lot about each other and they come to discover a lot of things when they are already dating. This, however, is not the case when friends start dating as they have been around each other for a long time hence they have seen the best and the worst of each other so there are no surprises.

Having some personal space is very healthy in any relationship. Alone time allows you and your partner to maintain your individuality which is key in all relationships. When dating your friend this can be a challenge as you both share the same friends and you can end up being around each other all the time.

 Since you have been close to each other for a long time, there is a possibility that you and your friend already know a lot about each other’s life. This is a great thing as it creates a deeper understanding between you two giving your relationship a higher chance of succeeding.

Having the support of your friends and both your families is a great thing for your relationship but it can also cause some serious issues. One of the issues is putting your new relationship under too much pressure as everyone around you expects your relationship with your friend to work. This kind of pressure puts your relationship at risk if not handled the right way.

No relationship is perfect, so it doesn’t matter how long you two have been friends, once you start dating you should expect to have some disagreements once in a while. The only difference is that arguments are easier to solve in this kind of situation as know each other extremely well.

When you start dating your friend and things do not work out as planned, you will not only lose the love of your life but you will also lose your best friend. This can really be tough as even your support system will also be affected.

Dating a friend of your ex is a very bad idea even though you can still make things work if you are determined. Some of the things you should expect in such a situation include the ending of friendships. There are some things that are off bounds even if you are no longer together and both your friends are usually top of the list This is the reason why dating a friend of your ex will most likely to cause a rift between your ex and the friend.
 

It’s also much harder to maintain the relationship especially if your ex is okay with your new relationship. This will mean that you will have to be prepared to be around your ex once in a while which might resurrect bad memories you had with your ex. Before thinking of dating a friend your ex, you should ask yourself questions such as; is your ex okay with the relationship? And what exactly do you like about the friend of your ex? Such questions will help to tell you if going ahead with the relationship is a good or a bad idea.

Divorces are very challenging as those involved usually experience things such as emotional and economic problems. The situation becomes even more complicated when you are dating a friend who has been divorced. There are some things that you need to know in advance if you are in such a situation and one of them is if your friend still keeps in touch with his/her ex-partner and if that the case, how often.
 

When you have been friends with somebody and you start developing feelings for him or her, the next step you make is very important as it can take your relationship to another level or break the already great friendship you have. The transition from being friends to partners is not always as smooth as one would imagine as at the beginning there is a lot of confusion and anxiety. The good news, however, is that if you both feel the same way, things become much easier along the way. The following are some of the things you should keep in mind before making your move:

This is one of the things that will let you know if dating your friend is really a good idea or not. Your friendship can easily transition into a relationship if you are attracted to a friend, who you are close to, share the same values, and usually spend a lot of time together. This is because you know each other well and it’s a sign that you have a strong friendship which is the key to the creation of a strong and successful relationship.

Before making your move, you have to be prepared for anything and this means being ready to lose the friendship in case your friend does not feel the same way about you. If you are really determined, rejection should not scare you as it’s worth the risk.

Here is when you start making your move. Instead of going all out, it’s recommended that you start with something small such using body language and flirting to see how things will go. Ways of doing this include smiling and making eye contact every time you are together.

Here is where you make your intentions known clearly by asking your friend out on a casual date. When doing this it’s important for you to be sincere and respectful throughout and avoid love professions that might scare your friend. It’s not a must for your friend to say yes so you should also be prepared to respect and to accept his/her decision. If your friend agrees to be your date, then that becomes the beginning of your relationship as partners.

It’s very easy for you to develop some feelings towards your friend as you usually spend a lot of time together. But when it comes to taking things to the next level, you have to consider a lot of things as you have a lot to lose if things don’t go as planned. However, this is a risk worth taking as if things go your way; you can end up having a healthy and strong relationship.