Rossana Snee
The Do's and Don'ts of New Relationships!

DON’T...
Compare your honey to your last love. You're not dating the same person. People are different. It's not fair to the person you're dating.
Wait by the phone. You know that saying, "A watched pot never boils?" Just go about your business.
Stop your life. You do have a life, right? If you think your new love interest will fill your void, you're in for a rude awakening. You have a life. You can share it, but don't make someone else IT!
Stop seeing your friends. This is a common mistake. You just met this new person. Don't abandon all the people who've been there for you. You never know when you might need their love and support.
Wait for the next text. Put away your phone. Enjoy what you're doing. Your happiness doesn't depend on your new person.
Be too needy. If you want to kill a relationship right from the get go, go ahead, be needy. It will be the quickest way to end your new relationship before it starts. Be confident and sure of yourself. Chase no one.
Agree with everything he/she says. Don't you have a mind of your own? Of course you do. Use it. Make yourself interesting and come up with your own stuff.
Pretend to be something you’re not. If you do, you will pay the price later on. Just be you. Your new love interest will either like you or not. Either way, you should know the truth based on truth, not lies.
Over call and over text. How many times do you really have to contact your new person? Really? Don't overdo it. This goes hand in hand with being too needy.
Don’t tell your friends about your fights. You will get your friends to hate him/her. What's going to happen after you make up?
Don’t take polls. Trust your instincts! After all, it is you who are dating this person.
Don’t lie. Tell the truth about who you are. Don't make yourself out to be someone you're not.
Don’t put your private stuff on SM. No one out there really cares. Don't post all your private issues for the whole world to see. They're just going to gossip.
Find faults. No one is perfect. Not even you. Everyone has faults. The question is: Does your love interest have more good qualities than faults?
Don’t expect the person to change. Can you change yourself? I didn't think so. What you see is what you get. If you think you're going to change someone, you must think you're a superhero. Uh, you're not.
Don’t say I love you too soon (makes you seem obsessive). This goes hand in hand with being too needy. Don't be.
Don’t ignore trouble. If you start seeing trouble brewing, pay attention. Don't make excuses, or turn a blind eye. Chances are, it will not go away. You'll pay a big price for this one. Signs of trouble are always evident. PAY ATTENTION!
Don’t lose your sense of self. It's fun being in a new relationship, falling in love, but don't forget who you are. Remember, the person you're dating doesn't want to date himself.
DO...
Continue with your life! You had a life before this new person. Continue it. People find people with exciting lives, exciting. Don't you want to be found exciting and attractive because you're full of life?
Ask a lot of questions. You want to make sure you know who this person is. Who he/she really is. Ask about family, friends, childhood, work, etc. Just ask and learn!
Go out with his/her friends and family. You want to see how they interact with their loved ones.
Have your own opinion. People who have their own opinion are quite interesting. Be interesting and not a parrot.
Communicate (no one is psychic). Always express yourself. No one can read minds. If you feel a certain way, find a good way to express it. Don't make them guess. And for the love of God, don't say, "If he/she loved me, he/she would have known."
Date for at least 1.5 years before you tie the knot. It takes a while to really get to know someone. Get to know your love interest. Give it time. Learn how they react when they're happy, sad, stressed, angry, etc. You'll be more prepared for future situations.
Relationships are quite interesting. New ones can be exciting and challenging. Follow these rules and your chances of success will increase.