Relationship rules are like a roadmap that guides a traveler on a long trip. It’s common to find people rushing into a relationship without an adequate plan or relationship goals. Before going into any relationship, knowing what you want and determining your tolerance level and expectations is essential. This might help keep both parties in check.
Going into a romantic relationship without rules is like walking on a rainy day without an umbrella. Therefore, if your relationship lacks vision, it isn’t too late to set the path straight and create guiding principles that will ensure its continuity and make it purposeful and goal-driven.
To improve your relationship, you should consider abiding by some relationship rules. Not to worry if you know nothing about these rules. This guide will reveal them alongside their importance and how to make them work for you.
What Are Relationship Rules?
There is no generally accepted way of defining relationship rules. Many people create their relationship rules out of their perception of their “ideal relationship” or what they plan to achieve from their relationship.
Therefore, it would help if you see relationship rules as building blocks for every romantic relationship that helps it reach the desired stage and achieve its purpose. These rules are highly subjective and, if followed strictly, could help you build a relationship with your partner and avoid frequent disputes.
Relationship Rules for Better Bonding With Your Partner
Discuss Finances
It pays to be open about finances in your relationship. It’s one of the golden relationship rules that could last for a century. According to research, money is one of the most significant sources of conflict and breakup in relationships. Therefore, one of the easiest ways to make your relationship healthier and more robust is t avoid keeping secrets about money, especially if your partner might quickly find out about it from a third party.
You and your partner must be on the same page with finances. Learn to avoid keeping secrets when you talk about money with your partner. Instead, be open and discuss how you both can grow together with the available resources.
That’s not all! You also need to set financial goals and work together as a team to achieve the goals. Discuss your needs in the relationship and plan how to solve them using your current income.
Honesty
If you plan to have a long-term relationship with your partner that leads to the alter, being honest with each other is a must. This is one of the relationship rules that could strengthen the bond you share with your partner and build trust.
It’s important to build honesty at the onset of the relationship and follow it through without default. If you fail to show honesty at the beginning, you will be building a relationship with a weak foundation. Such can hit the rock and shatter anytime.
This is one of the few relationship rules that have serious consequences if you fail to plan for it. As expected, honesty is not one-sided. Both parties must be honest with each other for the health and advancement of the relationship.
Practice Effective Communication
You must keep your communication channels open to build relationship rules that could strengthen your bond. Both parties can easily drift apart if it’s too close or narrow. No matter how tired you are, it would help if you didn’t close your communication channel out of ignorance.
It is the life-wire of any relationship. Any relationship rules that don’t include effective communication may not stand the test of time. Therefore, ensure you communicate with your partner regularly. Seek their opinion on important issues about your life, work or family.
- Don’t have a timetable for intimacy
Sex in a relationship should be impromptu. One of the essential relationship rules is that there mustn’t be a timetable for intimacy. Instead, it should happen unplanned, and that is when it becomes a thrilling experience.
Avoid giving clumsy exercises when it comes to matters of intimacy. Understandably, you may not always be in the best mood for sex. This could be when you are too tired from the day’s activities or stressed from work. But this shouldn’t become a ticket for avoiding being intimate with your partner at the slightest opportunity.
Spend Quality Time Together
You can spend quality time with your partner without spending a fortune or incurring debts. Romantic dinners aren’t a necessity. Instead, you could enjoy a romantic dinner at home. Just the two of you and avoid the expenses of going to a restaurant or club.
The goal is to enjoy time with each other without distractions. For example, you could watch your favorite TV show or program together on a sofa. Share some intimate discussions and seize the opportunity to know each other more. You may be surprised how much you will get to know your partner.
Discover Your Partner’s Love Language
At the moment, do you know your partner’s love language? Maybe not! But this should be one of your relationship rules if you want to build a lasting relationship with your partner. Understanding your partner’s love language entails knowing how they express love and wish to be loved.
When you resonate with your partner in their love language and show them love, in their desired manner, you will get the best from them and enjoy their companionship, trust and respect.
The best way to understand your partner’s love language is to ask them. Any other way may involve guesswork which is not reliable. If you can understand their love language, it will be easier to speak it.
More important to know your love language. How do you express love and wish to be loved? It’s essential to make your partner understand your love language just as you strive to understand theirs.
No Cheating
For most people, this is a no-brainer and shouldn’t even be given a second thought. But it might not be the same for others. That is why it must be part of your relationship goals if you cherish faithfulness. You and your partner must understand that relationship goals differ. Therefore, you must agree with your partner about cheating in the relationship.
Can you both condole it? What will happen when one party cheats against the other? Can you forgive your partner when they cheat on you?
It would help if you considered many things before setting relationship rules about cheating. Nevertheless, you and your partner must be on the same page on the issue.
Be Real
One of the things that could tear your relationship apart is pretending in a bid to impress your partner. Of course, by all means, you should endeavor to be real for the sake of the health of your relationship. But, besides that, it pays to be you.
So, it isn’t out of place if you add it to your relationship goals. There are better ways to impress your partner than saying or doing things you shouldn’t have done. This includes promising them something without the intention of fulfilling it or doing things you aren’t used to.
Forgiveness
No one on earth is a perfect human. Mistakes happen, which might call for forgiveness. Although some mistakes hurt, you may want to forgive and forget, especially if it wasn’t intentional. That is why you and your partner must establish relationship rules about forgiveness. If you are forgiving, your partner may be persuaded to do the same whenever you offend them.
If you know there are certain offences you will never forgive; it’s best to let your partner know at the onset of the relationship. In a committed relationship, forgiveness may be optional, but it is necessary and could help strengthen the bond of love between you both in the long run.
Prohibition of Abusive Words
Make this a priority in your relationship rules as much as you can. Abusive words never connote a positive meaning, no matter how it was said. People react differently to it. For some people, they are just words they could easily forget, while for others, abusive words could leave a scar in their hearts for many years.
Insulting your partner is never the best approach to correcting them for a wrong they did. So what happened to constructive criticism? While considering relationship rules, ensure you point out whether you can condone any abusive words from your partner or not. Although the latter is usually the case, it’s best to agree with your partner so they know how derogating such words are to you.
You may also be interested in: 10 Qualities of a Good Man
Final Thought
Although these rules may cover the essential aspects of your relationship, they are not exhaustive. However, if you make the most of these rules, you will use them to meet many of your relationship goals in the long run.
However, if you think your relationship has reached the stage where these rules may no longer work, it’s best to seek professional advice.
