Tips on Making a Relationship Work

• Love is the most important thing for a relationship. There's no "maybe" about love; you should know if you love someone. You enjoy sharing with each other anything and everything, you respect and trust each other, you're always honest with each other, you enjoy spending time and having special moments with each other, the good times outnumber the bad times, you're there for each other, you have great conversations, you're close on almost every level possible, you can balance the time you spend together and the time you spend apart, you can balance the time you do have together on emotional activities and conversations with the physical activities and conversations. You would do anything for each other and protect each other, you're kind to each other and show affection, and you spend time out of choice, not dependency
• There is always somewhere to go and something to do with each other as a date, so be creative and search around for ideas on what to do and where to go.
• Remember, if you're boyfriend and girlfriend, basically anywhere you go together and anything you do together is a date. Have fun and bond with each other.
• Have Saturday or Friday "date nights" for you as a couple (basically a weekly date) if you're in high school.
• If you're in college, talk over your schedules and have a weekly date night too.
• If you're not in college or high school (adult) then work around your work schedules and carve out special time for just you two once a week as well.
• Use relationship resources to help your relationship - e.g., books (Relationships For Dummies, The Complete Idiot's Guide To A Healthy Relationship, Emotional Fitness For Couples). Also - there are relationship therapists, counselors, and psychologists who can help.

WARNINGS :

• A relationship should be healthy, caring, loving, kind, upbeat, and positive. It should make your life better. If your life feels trying, upsetting, and worrisome, and even more so when you spend time with your boyfriend or girlfriend, it may be time to reassess.
• Infatuation generally lasts for 2 years as studies show. Keep this in mind, and if your relationship manages to be 2 years or more, then chances are you two have something that is more than skin deep.