It happens to the best of us when we find ourselves falling in love with a friend. They say the best kinds of relationships are the ones you don’t expect. But how do you get in a relationship when you never quite expected it. Dating your friend is a whole new way to start dating. And we’re here to help you get through it.
In this article, we are going to talk about how to date your friend through the awkwardness, the uncertainty of whether they feel the same way and whether it will work. Dating your friend is a different exciting experience. Allow the both of you to sink into the idea of dating each other at your own pace. here are a few tips on dating a friend:
Before you and your friend start dating
Of course, when you and your friend begin dating each other it is very awkward. Before we get into you and your friend actually dating let’s get into the process before you start dating.
How do you tell your friend you like them?
This is the most bro stage of them all. of course, you and your friend have been very platonic over the months or years. Beginning to see each other romantically almost feels absurd. You never quite know if they’re still looking at you in a platonic manner or they feel the same way. Something that could also bring in the back of your head is the awkwardness your feelings may bring. Here is how to tell your friend you like:
- Start off with subtle romantic gestures
- Let go of any past romantic relationships they might know about
- Wait for the right time to tell them. This may either be then in a relationship or when you feel like there might be reciprocating in your romantic gestures
There are a lot of things to take into consideration when it comes to dating your friend. The best way to tell them that you like them is to simply just tell them that you like them. I know it sounds very daunting but without directly telling them there is not much that can come out of the situation. If anything they are going to feel as though you are trying to play them which could only cause them to run away from you. Being upfront about how you feel and where you want to see the relationship going could either draw them closer or draw them away but at the end of the day you put your feelings out there. If a relationship doesn’t work there is no fault.
How to start dating your friend
So at this stage, we have gotten over the uncertainty of how you both feel and are attempting to start getting to know each other romantically. At first, it will definitely be very awkward because you are now having to kiss someone you’ve always seen as a sister or brother. Here are a few ways to start dating your friend:
Take it slow
Switching from a platonic relationship to a romantic relationship is definitely not the easiest thing. There is a lot of awkwardness especially when it comes to kissing or having sex. You have known each other for so long and have seen each other with other partners that you cannot believe that you’re one of them. Take it slow if you guys need two weeks to have your first kiss or a few months until you can share a bed romantically don’t try to rush it or be too hard on yourself for not getting there. It is a different experience.
Continue being friends
The important thing about dating your friend is to continue being friends. Outside of talking about other people that you find attractive, everything in your friendship needs to stay the same. Feeling like you have lost a friend because they’ve become a romantic partner is not the greatest feeling. Try to have someone continue your friendship rituals if it was every Thursday having pizza don’t try to change it too much to become like your other romantic relationships in the past.
Show romantic effort
As much as you want to continue being friends you do have to show romantic effort. Your partner has to be able to feel the switch from being friends and fun being lovers. It can sometimes go left by your friend now thinking you’re only with them just for the title but if you show romantic effort it shows that you put the words into being with them and don’t see them as less than your past partners.
Try out new things together
Trying new things together, things that you did not do as friends. This gives you the chance to look at each other in a different way and not feel odd about your new relationship. Whether it’s travelling together or cooking together just something out of your ordinary, this also helps to create a bond between the two of you fueling your new romance.
Don’t compare with your past relationships
This is a very important part of dating your friend. You guys have seen each other date other people so much and have spoken and laughed about each other’s experiences. You want to make sure that you are allowed this relationship to be as unique as possible. There will be doubts of course but you have to let nature take its course and if it’s meant to be it will be.
Advice on dating your friend
Dating your friend is definitely a different experience that you have to try out once in your life. Don’t try this out and a manner of just wanting to date your friend but try it out because you generally have a romantic interest in your friend. Don’t ruin a good friendship because you feel you need to experiment. Some friendships are genuinely not worth the waste if there will be multiple other people to date romantically.
You can’t always shy away from your feelings for them. If you have gotten to a point where you cannot contain how you feel and you would not rather be with anyone else, definitely go for it. You have nothing to lose if he or she rejects you from being their partner. You can just go back to being friends and it will be no hard feelings.
