By Jennifer Harrington
As if relationships aren’t challenging enough, many people face an additional obstacle when they discover that their parents do not support the romance and advocate a breakup. While it’s always important to be true to yourself, love can sometimes be blind and sometimes outside opinions can be helpful in evaluating your relationship. After all, your parents have known you the longest and only have your best intentions at heart. So, how do you know when you should listen when your parents advise you to break up? Here are some of Cupid’s tips:
Take their counsel to heart
When your parents voice their concerns about your romance, it is only natural that your first instinct will be to fight back and reject their opinions. Once you’ve had a chance to cool down, take some time to objectively assess what was said about your relationship and partner. Evaluate if their concerns are problems that can be addressed. If the situation can be addressed, do everything in your power to show your parents that you heard their feedback and that you’re taking steps to make things better. It’s more likely that your parents may be concerned about something that can’t easily be changed. Regardless, it is essential that you try to understand why your parents are counseling you to break-up.
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Solicit feedback from other loved ones
It’s important to also talk with other family and friends to see if they agree with your parents’ advice to end your romance. Seek out opportunities to honestly and openly speak with other loved ones about your relationship, and figure out if others agree with what your parents are saying. Your parents are people entitled to their opinions (which may or may not be valid), but if others echo their remarks, it’s time to take notice that your relationship may be more flawed than you realized.
Assess the situation
Ultimately, you have the right to choose who you want to date — and you may fundamentally disagree with the opinions others have about your love life. However, when the people closest to you don’t like the person you love, it can make your life very complicated and potentially unpleasant — and you have to decide if you are ready for those possibilities and if your partner is worth it. Ask yourself if your love is strong enough to survive such adversity. Everybody has different relationships with their families; you know your family dynamics and yourself well enough to figure out if you can imagine a happy future without your parents blessing your relationship.
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Love is a powerful influence and motivator in life — but this applies to love you experience with your family and friends, not just who you date or eventually marry. While love can be complicated, it should always bring positivity and well-being to your life. Be mindful of your parents counsel and don’t be afraid to take some time away from your romance if it helps you figure out what you need and what will make you the happiest long-term.
What are some other way to deal with your parents’ relationship advice? Share below.
