Finding out your friends don’t like your partner can be a real blow. After all, how can you maintain a relationship with everyone if they can’t stand each other? It may be a bum out, but it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. Elite Daily has some suggestions of ways to navigate this touchy situation that are definitely worth a try.
Take The Temp Of The Group
Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, a professor of relational communications at California State University Fullerton, warns, “If many or all of your friends don’t like your partner, that’s a huge red flag. They may be seeing things that you don’t see behind the rose-colored glass.” However if it’s just one or two people that seem to have a problem, she suggests chalking it up to “your friends hanging on to the way things used to be.”
Communication
Like so many things in life, communication is key. Ph.D. and couples therapist Taylor Dyson suggests, “After doing self-reflection, schedule time to have an intentional conversation to better understand their dislike.” Dyson adds, “It’s important to hear your friends out and reflect on their words from a non-defensive standpoint. Then, ask yourself if anything resonates with you.”
Set Boundaries
Finally, set boundaries! Dyson encourages this practice, offering, “Boundaries not only protect you but also protect those that you care about.” What kind of boundaries? Dyson says it’s helpful to start with something like, “Ask that your friends and significant other show respect to one another on the occasion that they are in the same room.” However, once you’ve done that, Taylor admits that “making separate time for your significant other and friends to minimize stress.”
Source: Elite Daily