It would be great if relationships came with a guidebook of how to make it work, but it’s not that easy. Fortunately, we can learn from the experience of others and BuzzFeed is helping us do that. They asked people to share their unconventional rules or practices that help their relationships thrive and here’s what works for them.
- "No large amounts of money in our joint account! 100% my rule because I have a major tendency to want to help others, as well as a shopping problem. He transfers money over every week so I can grocery shop, get my coffees, and do stuff with our kids. Plus, I'm always able to ask for more if needed."
- "We never fight in the car or talk about loaded subjects in the car. My husband and I haven’t fought in a very long time, but that’s still a firm rule for us."
- "We don't sleep in the same bed every night. Often, one of us will cuddle/spend time in the other’s bed before going to theirs to sleep. We both sleep a lot better this way."
- "My husband and I lived together the first five years of our marriage, and we nearly divorced. We have different organization and cleaning styles, and it was driving us nuts. Now, we live four blocks from one another, talk/text everyday, and make a concerted effort to make plans — from date nights to errands. We take turns spending the night. We've been doing this for five years (10 years married now), and it's helped us so much."
- "We say thank you to each other. Thank you for dinner, for taking the garbage out, etc. It might seem silly, but to us it’s genuine gratitude. It’s nice."
- "The house should be tidy for whoever is coming home to it. That doesn’t mean fully cleaned, but just tidy: a visually nice space for someone to return home to so they don’t feel compelled to do chores and can, instead, rest and relax. No coming home to chaos."
- "Whenever my S.O. (of 10 years) and I argue, we periodically look each other in the eyes and say, 'We're on the same team.' It just reminds us both that we're fighting the problem, not one another."
- "Not a rule per se, but we’re long distance and don’t talk on the phone everyday. We text a lot, and it’s been working for us just fine."
- "Partners do not crash girls' nights/guys' nights out. It's healthy to do your own thing sometimes!"
Source: BuzzFeed