Two Weeks Notice

Follow The Rules

There are rules everywhere in life; where you can park your car, when you can water your lawn, how late our assignments can be before we lose 5%. Today, we're talking rules about dating. Specifically, the friend-boyfriend balancing act.

There's something in the water in Adelaide at the moment. The majority of people surrounding me who didn't already have a significant other have found themselves a 'special someone' - and actually refer to them as such. Now, in itself, this is a good thing. However, the age-old problem of girls favouring their partners over their buddies, serious issues arise.

There are some dating rules that really must be followed to avoid this becoming a problem.

1. TWO WEEKS GRACE

When you start dating someone knew, or ever before that when you're spending all your time with them, you can't help but talk/think about them all the time. That's fine. For two weeks. You get two free weeks of talking about them with your friends, ditching your friends to be with them, whatever. Two weeks. Then, if you ditch your friends, you no longer have immunity and people have the right to be pissed.

2. CONSIDERATION

When you're dating someone, YOU are dating them. Your friends are not. So, when you go and visit a friend, you are there to see the friend. Always bringing the new parter is not always appreciated. This by no means is to say that your friend hates your partner. But they don't necessarily want to spend their time being a third-wheel, while you and him hold hands. Awkward.

3. HOES OVER BROS

Time is always a problem. Just remember that while making time for the boy is effortless, making time for the girls can be harder. However, if you always put the boy first, then the girls will stop making time for you too. Then, when/if things with the boy go pear-shaped, what will you do then? When the girls have asked you to do something, don't back out to be with the boy - at least not everytime. If you MUST do so, don't lie about it - everyone will find out and it will simply become bitching-fodder. It ends worse for you that way.

It's hard. It's a fine line. And it doesn't come naturally. But good friendships survive things like boys. So obviously it's do-able. Just remember to make the effort and follow the rules.

Annie