22 New Relationship Advice & Tips to Avoid Newbie Mistakes Many Make

When you meet someone new, there are many mistakes you can make. If you’re looking for new relationship advice, here’s all you need to keep things moving. 

There’s nothing more exciting than a new relationship. A new relationship brings with it hope for good things and adds a bit of mystery that intrigues you to learn more. But, by rushing or making a wrong move, you could endanger seeing where the relationship goes. In that case, you need to learn some new relationship advice to stop you from making the wrong move.

As pee-inducing as a new relationship may be, you have to take it slow and play by the rules if you want to have a good relationship that can blossom over time into a perfect one.

Most young lovers rush into a new romance and want to know everything it has to offer within the first few days. But entering a new relationship isn’t like tearing the wrapper off your Christmas present. You have to take your time to open the layers.

[Read: 15 things to do on a first date to make your date fall for you]

New relationships are about exploration

Starting a new relationship is exciting! You really don’t know this person, so you spend your time trying to figure out who they are and what their quirks are. What’s not to love about that? You’re basically exploring unchartered territory.

But what many people don’t realize is how important the beginning of a new relationship is. Yes, you’re exploring, but this is also the time when you’re setting up your boundaries and standards for the relationship. You could say it’s the most important part of a relationship.

That’s why you need some good quality new relationship advice to steer you in the right direction. [Read: How to set boundaries in a relationship – 15 rules for healthy love]

From a new relationship to a good relationship

In a seasoned relationship, keeping the excitement alive may seem like the biggest bummer. But in a new relationship, it’s learning to hold back the excitement that ends up distancing new lovers.

If you’ve just met a perfect partner and don’t want to ruin a perfect start, here are all the pointers you need to take it from a new relationship to a good relationship.

1. Meet often, but not too often

When you’re in young love, you’d want to spend every waking minute with your sweetheart. It’s understandable, you’re obviously excited. But could you be pushing it too far?

Remember that new Netflix show you like, that has 7 seasons and hundreds of episodes? You were probably really excited at the beginning, but as the show took more time out of your daily routine, you started getting annoyed by it. It’s the same story with love. You love something, you enjoy it and yet, you can’t help but get a little annoyed by it when you overindulge in it.

By meeting too often, you’re suddenly changing the lives of two individuals who have fallen in love. It may feel great for the first week or so, but eventually, your other commitments may pile up and one of you may end up getting annoyed with the other for taking too much time.

Go out on dates once or twice a week, and it’ll keep the love and excitement on a high for a long time. But if you’re both madly in love and can’t keep your hands off each other, then you’re excused to meet each other more often, but with caution. This is one of the most important pieces of new relationship advice to give. [Read: Timing it right – How often should you meet your boyfriend or girlfriend every week?]

2. Don’t get clingy

Just because you’re dating doesn’t mean you own each other. Shocking, yes, but it’s true.

If you want to know how to have a good relationship from the beginning, learn to give each other space. Especially in a new relationship, you don’t really need to know every little piece of information about each other.

Right now, you’re only a small part of each other’s lives, so don’t give yourself more importance than you deserve. [Read: How to give space in a relationship and grow closer instead of drifting apart]

3. Don’t be lavish with your gifts

Your new lover may be running circles in your mind all day, but that doesn’t mean you should go overboard and buy something for your lover every time you see something nice while shopping.

Save the spending sprees for later when the relationship has grown over a solid foundation. If you do want to express your love with gifts, then pick something small, personal and inexpensive at first.

Save the extravagant gifts when you know your new mate’s the one for you. Not only is this new relationship advice going to save you money but it won’t set a dangerous precedent either. [Read: 24 sneaky signs you’re dating a genuine 24-karat gold digger]

4. Don’t push for sex too quickly

In every new relationship, the horny-o-meter pointer may go into overdrive, just like your love-o-meter. But that doesn’t mean you should try and coerce your partner into having sex with you on the first or second date.

Take it slow, and if both of you do end up having sex soon, so be it. But don’t try booking a hotel room or ask your new lover to slide over to the back seat for some heavy petting unless it happens without any preplanning. It could make your partner think you’re just in it for the sex and lead to loss of trust. [Read: Sex in a new relationship and how to make the first time less awkward]

5. Don’t get possessive

Possessiveness is never a good trait in a relationship. Possessiveness is a sign of insecurity and jealousy, and these are usually big red flags in any relationship, new or old.

Remember that you’re still in a new relationship and can’t order or even request your mate to avoid people or avoid going out by themselves. Even if you do feel jealous about your lover’s partying habits or the amount of time they spend with a group of friends, learn to suck it up and hold it in.

Signs of jealousy and insecurity right at the beginning can end the relationship even before you know it. [Read: Why am I so jealous? The real reasons why we feel it and how to fix it ASAP]

6. Accept each other’s habits

When you fall in love with someone new, you fall in love with a person who’s unique, not a spitting image of your dream lover.

Instead of trying to change them to fit your requirements, learn to adjust to their habits. By restricting a lover or trying to change someone at the very beginning, you risk the chance of losing them forever.

Whether you’re in love or otherwise, you can’t really change someone’s personality. If you find your new lover incompatible, end the relationship instead of suffering a nervous breakdown due to frustrations or insecurities. In terms of new relationship advice, this is key. [Read: 13 avoidable habits that will change your life for the worse]

7. You don’t have to say the L word

Just because you’re in a relationship with your new lover, it doesn’t mean you have to start saying those “three magical words” to each other as soon as you decide to go out with each other.

By saying it out first, you’re subtly coercing your partner into saying it back. And whether your new love says it back or not, it’s only going to lead to awkwardness in the air because it’s all happening so fast.

Take it slow and wait a while, maybe a month or so before you say it out loud – whatever feels right. [Read: When should you say “I love you” for the first time?]

8. Don’t introduce your date to your friends too soon

When you’re in a new relationship, you’re still exploring each other and learning about each other. Don’t call your friends over when your new lover’s with you or plan a group date just to show off your new catch.

Though it’s not a bad thing to do, overwhelming your new lover with too much information at once can seem like too much, too fast. This piece of new relationship advice is an important one because when someone feels pushed into a corner, they’re only going to run.

And if you do meet a friend when you’re on a date, introduce your date by the name and don’t really get into details. Your friends would understand the relationship status. And you’d save your date from an awkward situation, especially if they haven’t made up their mind on your relationship status. [Read: 13 signs your friends are ruining your relationship]

9. Talk to each other

When you’re in a new relationship, bodily exploration may be the high point of every date that ends in a cozy corner or in one of your beds. But that doesn’t really help create a good relationship. Communication does.

Try to sneak in a long conversation every now and then and learn about each other, likes, dislikes, interests, and all.

By doing this, it’ll help you figure out the romantic compatibility and also help bring both of you closer on a level that’s beyond sexual attraction. [Read: 50 easy questions for a new relationship to predict your romantic future together]

10. Always be honest

This is one of the most important pieces of new relationship advice, in fact, any relationship, not just new ones. If you can’t be honest right off the bat, then your relationship isn’t going to last.

You need to be honest with this person right from the start of your relationship. This is usually the hardest part, but if you’re true to yourself, you’ll be true to the relationship. That’s what will keep you together through thick and thin. [Read: How to be vulnerable and grow closer in a relationship]

11. Always remember that slow and steady wins the race

When you really like someone, you really want to speed things up. It’s completely normal. But this is the mistake that we always make, and what happens is that the honeymoon phase fizzles out quickly. Instead, why not enjoy it?

This is the moment where you’re supposed to be going on exciting and fun dates, having sexy sleepovers, and truly getting to know each other. [Read: How to slow your new relationship down and prepare for happiness]

12. No fights over text

Please, oh please, before you angrily text your partner, think about it. Are they really going to read this message the way you want them to? Of course not.

You need to talk about any issue with them face-to-face. This time in the relationship is crucial for establishing communication. You need to create a standard that will continue throughout your relationship.

13. Leave your exes out of it

Many people are very guilty of this but it’s not going to help you. Don’t bring exes up in conversations when you’re talking about funny situations from the past.

We know that you can’t help that they were there, but honestly, you need to keep them out of the conversation, or else it looks like you haven’t moved on. [Read: How to talk about a past relationship with your partner]

14. Don’t stop seeing your friends

We cannot express this enough. It’s easy to become wrapped up in a relationship and ignore the people who’ve been around you for years.

You need to spend no more than half your time with your partner. You need time with your friends and family. Not only is this a good piece of new relationship advice because you’re not smothering your partner, but you’re also maintaining your own life and social connections, which is oh-so-important.

15. Establish your boundaries

If you don’t do it now, you’ll have a hard time establishing them later on. Everyone has their own personal boundaries, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

But you need to express them and let the person know where the line is. These boundaries could be about anything such as who pays for what, PDA, personal time alone. The earlier you do it, the easier it will be. [Read: New relationship boundaries and 12 lines all couples must draw early on]

16. Don’t change for anyone

When we like someone, it’s easy for us to change our opinions to better suit our partner. We do this because we want to feel a connection with them, this isn’t the way.

Instead, if you’re too much alike, it can get boring. Stay true to your opinions and feelings because you have them for a reason. [Read: Self-reflective questions to help you stay true to yourself]

17. Be open about sex

For you, maybe the sex would be better if your partner changed the way they went down on you, but they don’t know that because you’re not telling them.

We like to pretend that sex isn’t that important when it comes to relationships, but it’s a huge factor. At the beginning of the relationship, be open about your sexual preferences and vice versa. But always remember to talk about these things in a sensitive way!

18. Go easy with meeting the parents

Listen, don’t rush to meet the parents. They’ll let you know when they’re ready, and it’s best if they meet your family when they express their desire to. If not, you may put them in an awkward situation.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invite them to dinner, just instead, let them decide if they want to go or not. [Read: 7 clear signs it’s the right time to meet the parents]

19. Make an effort to get to know their friends

You can learn a lot about another person by seeing who they hang out with. When they introduce you to their friends, make sure that you take the time to get to know them.

You’ll be able to see who your partner likes to spend their time with and why they choose the people they hang out with. It also shows your partner that you’ll fit into their life just fine. [Read: 15 things to talk about in a perfect relationship]

20. Talk about what the relationship is

You may really like them, but if they think this is just a hookup, well, you’re on different pages. You both need to know and talk to each other about where you’d like this relationship to go.

That way, if your partner only wants something casual, you don’t invest emotionally in the relationship. However, don’t go having this conversation after the second date. You need to wait a while and then try and seek the clarity you need. [Read: When to define the relationship – 20 signs it might be right now]

21. Appreciate space

In the beginning, we want to spend all the time in the world with our partners, but space is equally important. When we spend too much time with someone, we start to feel suffocated. This is when people tend to distance themselves.

Instead of this happening, give each other some space for themselves as it’ll show them that you respect personal time. Also, see space as a good thing because it gives you something to talk about! [Read: How to avoid being a stage 5 clinger]

22. Don’t overthink

When starting a new relationship, we tend to overthink things and look above and beyond into the future. Stop doing that.

The present is happening now and if you’re looking ahead, you’re missing what’s happening in front of you. Try to stay in the present, you’ll enjoy the relationship more.

[Read: Are we in a relationship? How to know for sure if you’re a couple]

These new relationship advice and tips will help you understand the secret behind knowing how to have a good relationship right from the start. After all, a new relationship, as exciting as it may be, is still fragile and breakable.