There’s no many things in life harder than being a good boyfriend. And by that I mean actually being supportive and top of your game, not just “being in a relationship”. If you combine the fact that women can be very demanding and men are just, well, men, it’s no wonder that so few relationships actually make it.
Since we care, we decided we’d ask some real guys what it is that makes relationships work and what it really is that you need to do to be a good boyfriend. I’m sure it’s all tried-and-true stuff, check it out.
Pay Attention
And don’t just pay attention to her, pay attention to yourself as well. Notice her hair, notice her clothes, notice her perfume, notice you not having done the dishes for the third time in a row. Either of those could get you burnt, so be aware of everything at all times. Nothing is too small.
Let Her Take Control
Let her make the decisions next time you want to do something together. That place she’s always wanted to visit? Done. The restaurant she likes to go? Done. If you can afford it, she’s worth it. And let’s be honest: it’s so mentally relaxing to have someone else do the thinking for once.
Learn Her Language
No man alive is native in speaking woman, so learn how to understand her. That said, if you can clearly, positively, absolutely tell something is going on, and she says “nothing”, no one is going to blame you if every once in a while you pretend to believe her. If she wants you to fix the problem, the least she can do is identify it, right?
Do Stuff Around The House
It’s 2021, men get to cook and do the laundry as well. It’s gonna go a long way if you can help her around the house every once in a while. She may get mad at you for doing it wrong, but deep down she’s thankful that you saved her some precious time watching the umpteenth Netflix Christmas movie. It’s important stuff.
Be Patient
Look, making sense of a woman is usually going to take a lot of time. Don’t double-down on it if you’re not planning to go the length. You could be in a relationship with a woman for decades and still wonder why she does the things she does. It goes with the territory. Have some patience, and it’ll go a long way towards making it last.
Be Emotionally Stable
Your partner is going to want to lean on you whenever she’s feeling “a bit down”. Make sure you have the mental capacity to stomach this. Primarily for giving her support, but also for not thinking “oh Lord, here we go again.” Depending on your personality one will be harder than the other, but neither is ever simple.
Put Her First
This is probably the easiest one on the list. Compromise where needed, but not to the point where you completely disregard your own desires. It just makes things easier and helps you get away with screwing up in one of the other points once or twice. Putting her first increases the chances of the relationship lasting, and you’re getting something out of the relationship too, right?
Take Control
Wait, didn’t we just tell you to let her take control? Yes we did. You didn’t think it would be easy, did you? There’s a point in life where a man settles down and all he wants to do is spend every minute of his free time watching The Witcher on Netflix. And while that’s a very valid and fulfilling lifestyle, that’s not what your partner wants. Take initiative and go out. But let her choose where. Basically, you get no cake and you can’t eat it either.
