Relationship Timeline: 20 Stages Proving Your Bond Is Strong
Different people have different relationship timelines but there are a few similarities. Here are 20 stages that prove your bond is still strong.
Jul 24, 2018
Why is it important for a relationship to grow, change, and evolve?
Relationships need to grow, change and evolve because that's how they work. We are humans and change is the only thing that's constant in our lives. You will obviously not love your partner the same way you loved them at the beginning of the relationship. Your love for each other will either grow exponentially or will fade away. In the years, months, or even weeks to come, your relationship sees either development or destruction. As humans, we change as a person and so do our relationships with our partners. Let's talk about long-term relationships here. You grow to love them even when they are in their pajamas, and you find them adorable while they are irritable. You learn to live with them with all their flaws, all their imperfections. That is what a healthy and a happy relationship looks like. There are different people, different personalities, different love interests and different relationships. But you can always find one or more similarities in each, and find a common relationship timeline. We have read countless posts about to make a relationship work because, let's face it, people these days suck. Now we are going to find out what the different stages in a healthy relationship timeline look like. Listed below are a few stages of a healthy relationship timeline for you to take a look at. Understanding these stages will be crucial for your bond with your partner to evolve, and make your life more adventurous.
1. Initial interest is important to start a relationship
Just taking a brief look at them will make something flutter in your heart, and you will find your future partner attractive. You'll want to know more about them, and you will stalk them online to get all possible details about their personality. Their dimpled chin, thin lips, and even their nerdy glasses will attract you to the point you will dream about them at night.
2. The First Date: the beginning of a relationship
Supposedly, at this stage of your relationship timeline, you have successfully charmed your partner enough to get them to like you back. The evening of your first date is already there. Youâll get to know them on a personal level. Now you will see whether you like them enough to be their lover and of course, vice versa.
3. The First Kiss: to move forward with your relationship timeline
The first kiss may or may not happen right on the first date. When you guys keep working towards knowing each other, the first kiss does wonders for your relationship. That's the stage when you feel a connection with your partner. Your first kiss with him or her will make intimacy bloom.
4. The first time you come close
Your kisses on your dates sure have spiced things up between you and your partner. You would want to touch them more often, feel their skin on yours, and get closer. This is one of the most important stages of relationship timeline. However, it happens after you realize how comfortable you both have become with each other. The level of comfort shows how often you both are ready to savor each otherâs bodies.
5. Sleeping over: a stage further in your timeline
When both of you have finally undressed before each other, the sleepovers will follow! Cuddling and being romantic until your partner has to go to the office early next day or you have errands to run builds a better relationship between partners. This stage of the relationship timeline brings with it a sense of togetherness.
6. Another rule of dating: meeting the friends
You two are officially together, so going out with your partner and their friends will be the next step. You'll get to know more about them from their friends than they will let out for now. Their friends might unveil hidden truths, drunken secrets and past stories.
7. Small fights make you love each other more
You will learn secrets about each other that may lead both of you to fight. But don't worry, this will actually strengthen your relationship. If treated with care, this stage can prove to be the most crucial period of your relationship timeline.
8. Jealousy is a part of love
Jealousy is a part of any relationship when you truly love someone. It is also essential to know how much you are attached to the person you are dating. You'll want their attention all the time. You'll get jealous at the thought of them talking to or merely being with someone else. At this point in the timeline of your relationship, you have already accepted them as your very own. That's when you both need to understand that they were a separate person before you came along and they had a life. The trick is to enjoy your privacy and know the importance of 'space' in your own life.
9. The end of your honeymoon phase
Constant dates with your partner and sleeping over at their place will bring you closer to them than ever. You will know each other better. Late night and early morning sex will no longer matter as you may prefer to lie awake talking about life. That's when you know the intense passion in the early stages of your relationship has been replaced by being very relaxed in each otherâs company. It will guide you and let you know that it's time to think seriously about moving further with your relationship timeline.
10. Getting comfortable: taking the next step in your timeline
You won't mind farting in their presence, and they won't mind your late night series binge sessions. Your evenings may not include sex, but instead leftover pizza and cheap wine. You will love them even with their foul breath in the morning. You simply feel yourself around them, and there is no pretense because you accept them as your own. Isnât this the best stage of a relationship timeline?
11. Moving in with the person you are dating
Now is the perfect time to learn about the routine of the person you have been dating for so long. How they work, how they sleep, and how they like their eggs in the morning. You move in with them because you wish to have them in your life just as they want you in theirs.
12. Things are getting serious: a guide to moving forward in your relationship timeline
Remember, fights will still happen in all these stages. No one is perfect and your partner will piss you off at one time or another. But you will stick with them anyway. Why? Because you love them too much. Things are both sweet and salty, and you should enjoy this phase. By now you're probably dreaming of living with them for the rest of your lives.
13. Meeting the parents: a step towards marriage
Now that things are in the right place, you'll want to take things to a new level. It is because your relationship timeline has entered the serious zone. You know, talking about settling down, etc. You have already told your parents about your partner, and they too have possibly done so. Tip: learn what they're like from your partner and present yourself accordingly when you meet them.
14. Engagement means moving towards marriage
Now that you have started planning your life together and making memories together, it is time for you to think about marriage. It only makes sense that you both should think about marriage now. You exchange promise or engagement rings with both your parents' blessings.
15. Marriage
In most cases, unless you realize that you both are not compatible; you are perfectly ready to tie the knot. Wedding bells ring, catering is set, the hall where you'll take vows is organized. You have sent out invites, and your friends are eagerly waiting to drink and dance like maniacs. You give them that pleasure. What's most important is that you both have accepted each other as your lifelong partners and perfect soulmates.
16. Kids
The most beautiful stage of any relationship timeline is the one that comes after marriage. It is when you start your family and have kids. This is the time when the happily ever after stage of your life begins. It is not that simple though. This is one of the longest stages of your relationship. You will experience many ups and downs even after having kids and moving further in your relationship timeline. This is the last major phase you'll experience as an evolving couple. Any other stages of your relationship timeline depend totally on the couple. You might need counselling after a few years or you might live happily ever after.
17. Life beyond
Everyone knows how life takes a turn after having kids. You are desperately waiting for a holiday but not being able to go. You face a few big fights where you end making up with your partner by either taking them out on a nice date or apologizing with a present. Either way, you learn, grow, and evolve in your relationship.
18. The unknown stages that guide you in your relationship
Sometimes, you will find yourself asking why you are even with your partner. When you do that, think about why you fell in love with them before marrying them. Think about how you both had fought for each other during hard times. Think of all the times when you told them they mean the world to you. Think of all those cute fights where you made up with a passionate kiss. You made the best choice then, and now you are living with them. It will encourage you to put in extra effort and make your partner fall in love with you all over again.
19. Saying 'I LOVE YOU' will create a stronger bond
If this doesn't give you the vibe of a great relationship, then I don't know what will. Every person needs to be told these three magical words once a while to remind them know that you care. It brings back that initial spark of romance in a relationship, even if you have been together for decades.
20. Understanding guides you to love
Hardships are inevitable in any relationship timeline. Sometimes it makes the bond stronger than ever, and other times it makes love dwindle. Your personal relationship timeline demands understanding, discussions, and long but light conversations. Tears are not forever and neither is happiness. However, if you are smart enough to keep your relationship built on great terms, then you'll both enjoy a healthy relationship.