By Rachel Sussman
Spring is the season of renewal and fresh starts; as the days start to get longer, you may begin to see your relationship in a new light. So how do you know when it’s time to do some “spring cleaning” in your love life?
Online dating sites ChristianMingle and JDate recently surveyed more than 2,700 singles for their inaugural State of Dating in America report, revealing what they really think about dating, sex, marriage and more. The stats in the report can help you see how your relationship stacks up in comparison to other U.S. singles.
To help determine if it’s time to do a clean sweep of your love life, I’ve compiled a list of five tell-tale signs based on the report’s findings:
1. If he won’t commit: More than one-third of singles surveyed think that one to two years is the minimum amount of time to date before getting engaged, and only two percent said that more than five years is the appropriate amount of time. So if you want to take that next step and after five years of dating he still shows no signs of proposing, it may be time to move on.
Related: Falling In Love: When to Say the L-Word for the First Time
2. If he doesn’t get along with your friends: As the saying goes, chicks come first, so it’s no surprise that women say their friends have the most influence on who they date. It’s important to make sure your friends and your guy get along, for the happiness of all.
3. If he’s unfaithful: This one might seem like a no-brainer, but in fact data shows that men and women have different views on cheating. Women are more likely to believe that having an emotional relationship, texting or online flirting is cheating; make sure you discuss these issues to prevent future conflict or misunderstandings.
Related: You’ve Cheated, So Now What?
4. If he doesn’t like your pet: One quarter of singles would break up with someone if their pet didn’t like that person. Fido or Fluffy is going to be in your life for a long time, so it’s important that they mesh well with any humans you bring into the family.
5. If you have different world views: Nearly three-quarters of singles are looking for a partner who shares their religious faith. If you and your mate have vastly different views on religion or other important issues, it’s not an issue that will easily go away, and could cause conflict down the road.
Rachel Sussman is a licensed psychotherapist, relationship expert, author and lecturer. She is the founder of Sussman Counseling, a psychotherapy practice specializing in treating couples and individuals with relationship dilemmas. She is the author of THE BREAKUP BIBLE: The Smart Woman’s Guide to Healing from a Breakup or Divorce.
