<p>These Are The Absolute Hardest Things About Being In A New Relationship</p>

How soon is too soon to share with your social feed that someone new has stolen your heart? Trying to agree on when is the right time to debut your new relationship to family and friends can be tough, but the best thing to do is communicate, communicate, communicate so that the both of you are comfortable in knowing the time is right to make the announcement that you’ve found a new bae!

There’s always someone trying to rain on your love parade, and in a new relationship, often times it’s an ex lover who’s in the way. When settling into your new love, set some ground rules on how to handle things when an old flame comes peeking around the corner. Do you keep lines of communication open? Do you acknowledge birthdays? What about social gatherings? Be sure to talk to your partner about how you’ll deal with a former flame (and save yourself a future argument!).

Will you or won’t you? The sex talk in a new relationship can complicate things when one of you wants to wait until marriage before you make love and the other isn’t sure. Having the conversation earlier is obviously better but there are definitely ways to share intimacy without having sex and your relationship will, without a doubt, be closer than ever!

In single life you could come and go as you please, but now that you have a significant other, it’s important to consider how you spend your free time. We all need a little alone time sometimes and trying to articulate that in a new relationship can often feel like you’re skating on thin ice. Don’t worry. There are ways to find some quiet free time for yourself without making your bae feel slighted.

Gaining a new relationship also means gaining a whole new circle of friends on each side. Trying to find where you fit into your bae’s friendships can sometimes be tricky because you want approval of those closet to him, and you want your girls to approve too. Just make sure you introduce the relationship when it’s something you both feel good about and the rest always works itself out.

We all have weird quirky things we do when we think no one is looking. And when you’re in a new relationship, spending more and more time with the one you love, they see the good, the bad and the ugly! It can take some time but hearing your man sing off-key in the shower could be something you love just as much as you do him!

In the courting and dating process, conversations about the hard stuff, like politics, finances and religion are introduced and can sometimes get more complicated as time, events and incidents occur. Don’t panic–when things get a little tense think of it as a test. While the relationship might be new, working through a “handle with care” situation will help you learn a lot about the one you’re with.

Life might be easier without meddling and overbearing mamas calling every day, but what would we do without them?! Dating a true mama’s boy in a new relationship requires a lot of patience, but it has its benefits in the long run.

Date night doesn’t automatically mean he’s picking up the tab. Sometimes it’s a good idea to go dutch, other times you might want to take the initiative and spend a little coin. Learning to understand who pays for what in your dating and relationship dynamic will save the awkward moment of who reaches for the bill and who reaches for their wallet when making purchases.

What do you do when you get a raise, he conquered a personal feat or you’ve made it to the one year mark and have two totally different ideas on how to celebrate reaching a new milestone? Having the conversation about how big and extravagant or small and intimate you like to celebrate is a good talk to have now just so everyone’s expectations are shared and hopefully, understood.

We all have holiday traditions, tips and tricks that we grew up with and swear by. In a new relationship, it can be hard to introduce something new while potentially breaking a habit you’ve known all your life. While the embracing of the differences might feel a little weird, just remember change is a good thing. It’s what life’s all about!

Taking the big step to go from two places to one is a major test in a new relationship. Upgrading a new living situation welcomes a great new dynamic into your way with bae but it could also come with a great deal of baggage. Make sure you dot all your i’s and cross all your t’s of your love affair before the two of you sign on the dotted line together.