5 Things People In Relationships Are Sick Of Hearing
For some reason, being in a committed or long-term relationship when you’re young seems to warrant a lot of judgement. If you’ve found your soulmate at the age of 18, it was probably largely out of your control – but it’s amazing and should be celebrated. Instead, these are the comments and questions you’re sure to hear over and over again.
“Why are you getting so serious so young?”
Followed by phrases like “You should be enjoying your youth!” Why does being in a committed relationship mean you’re not enjoying your youth?! Sure, the relationship might be serious in the sense that you care a lot for the other person, but that doesn’t mean you’ve suddenly transformed into a serious, boring person who can’t have fun. There’s nothing wrong with settling down at a young age if it’s the right person and you’re still going out with friends and doing all the same things they are (minus the whole hooking up with random people thing).
“When are you getting married/having kids?”
On the other end of the spectrum, once you’ve been dating for a couple of years, somehow the engagement question pops up a lot. If you have those things in mind for the near future, that’s fine! And this question might actually annoy you a little less than the people who aren’t thinking of weddings and babies just yet. News flash: You can be in a committed relationship without wanting to get married immediately. You might be happy enjoying each other’s company for a few years and might think about that stuff later – but what’s the rush?
“Single people are more fun.”
Sure, there will be nights where you just stay in and hang out as a couple. But as far as I’m aware, if you like going out and partying, being in a relationship isn’t going to stop you from doing that. You’re probably present at all the same nights out and enjoy drinking just as much as your single friends. But as soon as there’s one night where you can’t attend an event because you have something on with your partner, your response is met with an eye roll and a comment like “You used to be fun”. Totally unfair, guys.
“You can’t know what you want until you’ve dated more people.”
We get it – dating someone from the age of 18 might mean you haven’t had the chance to date other people and experience the world of dating like everyone else has. But are we expected to give up a great relationship to find out what else is ‘out there’? If we’re happy with what we’ve got, why would we want to change that? While dating lots of people might help you figure out what you want from a future relationship, it shouldn’t have to be a prerequisite.
“Doesn’t it make it harder to consider someone else in all your plans?”
Honestly, sometimes yes. Again, it doesn’t mean we’re going to give it all up because things are hard. It is so much easier when you’re single to pack up and leave for exchange or moving overseas than when you’re in a committed relationship. You have to consider your partner’s thoughts and feelings in your decisions, but it won’t stop you from doing the things you want to do. If you have to do long distance for six months it might be hard, but you’re going to give it a try. For the most part, being in a long-term relationship at a young age is all about going with the flow and seeing what happens.
