15 Common Mistakes Girls Make With Their First Serious Boyfriend
“Ignoring red flags. They are so happy to have their first SO that they don’t care.” — AudioslaveFan
“Latching onto them. When you start dating someone, you still need to have a life of your own, and allow them to do the same. They can’t become your life. It burns people out.” — Sw429
“Putting the other person on a pedestal. It’s their first significant other and because of that inexperience sometimes they place too much importance on them (ignoring other friends, changing too much of themselves…) and with that comes the danger of insecurity when they’ve placed someone in such high regard that they don’t hold for themselves. My advice for a first timer would be: Remember you’re both human, you both have flaws, you both are growing. Love them, but they are not perfect, and if you place them on a pedestal you are objectifying them because you begin to fall for the idea of them. Stay humble. Love like crazy, don’t obsess like crazy.” — oceanhunter
“Not communicating and not expressing their emotions in a good way. Yeah, people express their positive emotions, but fail to express the negative ones as well. The negative emotions build up and a stressful environment with disputes will emerge.” — regdayrf2
“Saying terrible things about your SO to friends and family when you two are in a tiff. Also, thinking that because you’re dating that that person belongs to you. Jettison that fucking stupid thinking right now. Your SO has total freedom, as do you.” — [deleted]
“Not wearing a condom.” — is-that-a-thing-now
“Being too clingy/overbearing. Although it is great to hang out and all that, I personally still enjoy and value some good alone time.” — r_e_d_d_i_t
“Applying tips, tricks, and tropes from romantic comedies. Or anime. Or porn.” — 486921
“Changing everything about you to fit the relationship. Eventually, it ruins everything.” — LeMuffinButton
“Thinking they can change that person into someone else or in some other significant way.” — michalclark11
“Failing to properly define boundaries. What they’re comfortable with physically, emotionally, etc.” — camelCaseOrGTFO
“Never emotionally reciprocating. Treating your SO like they’re just a playdate to go do stuff with rather than spending time discussing issues, past experiences, what their childhood was like, how they are feeling, what they want in life, what they’re struggling with, etc.” — camelCaseOrGTFO
“Great sex doesn’t mean the rest of the relationship is great, it only means the sex is great. Loving to have sex with someone is not being in love with someone. Love involves more than flirting and intimate pillow talk (anyone can be intimate while in the afterglow of satisfying sex).” — [deleted]
“Going huge on gifts and the like the first time a birthday/Christmas/Valentine’s Day comes around. You set the bar with that first move, gotta leave some room to go bigger later.” — FrismFrasm
“Hiding or faking aspects of their personality or preferences so their new partner will like them. Then eventually things will reach the point where they can’t stand faking it any more, and blow up at their partner for expecting them to be the person they’ve been pretending to be all this time.” — [deleted]