The holidays can be a very stressful time for any couple, whether they've been dating for years, months, or even a couple of weeks.
While we don't have the answers to all of your holiday dating questions, we can certainly give you a few hints below: What not to do: 1 - Don't Dump Someone: This should be pretty obvious but, sadly, people do this one all the time.
Now, you should never stay in a relationship that's poisonous to you and if the problems are severe, then go ahead and dump the person whenever you want.
But if it's simply a case of boredom, then will two or three weeks really kill you? 2 - Don't be Too Busy: College students will often have this problem because they don't know how to enjoy the holidays yet (can you blame them, with all of those finals?).
But the problem doesn't just apply to them.
A lot of people just have no time during the holidays as companies scramble to make their numbers before the end of their fiscal years and try their best to capitalize on holiday business.
However, unless you're the President, you should be able to make time for your significant other (and even President Obama goes to holiday parties from time to time).
Don't be a jerk.
Make some sacrifices.
3 - Don't be Pushy About Family: If it's been over a year and your significant other doesn't want to meet your family, then you have a problem there.
But if your significant other wants to be with his/her family, and you want to be with yours, there's nothing wrong with that.
And if it's only been a couple of months, don't expect the person to rush to meet your folks, especially during the holidays.
It's stressful and it should be done at an appropriate time, not during a major holiday.
4 - Don't be an Ass About Presents: If your significant other is broke or unemployed or whatever, don't request a gift that costs $500.
That's just obnoxious.
If your significant other gets you something you don't like, then deal with it.
If you've been together long enough and you're both mature, you can likely talk about it and take it to the store and exchange it.
If you're in a new relationship or your partner tends to take things personally, suck it up and keep it to yourself.
Don't complain to others.
People talk and that can be very bad.
Also, get a present that the other person will like but don't feel a need to go for expensive.
If you can't afford it, then you can't afford it.
Also, NEVER buy a fake.
It's tacky and the epitome of not romantic.
5 - Don't Act Like an Idiot: Most people like to drink at holiday parties and so forth, but don't be the drunken idiot at the bar that everyone will remember the next day as "the drunken idiot at the bar.
" Be moderate when you consume alcohol, especially at work parties or at family events.
No one wants to be known as the person dating an alcoholic, either at work or with family.
This applies not only to dating but to life.
If it's your own work party, you should still use moderation.
What to do: 1 - Events Speak Louder than Gifts: Gifts are great, but events are better.
Yes, you can go all out and buy her diamond earrings, or you can get him nice watch, but why don't you also consider a nice date? If you can afford the event and the gift, don't take the date as a cop-out from having to buy a gift.
If you can't afford it, she'll know (or he, if you're the kind of girl who takes her man out for dinner, and why not?) and understand (if she, or he, doesn't then that relationship should end pretty soon).
Your partner will love the gift, but, if it's special enough, they'll remember the event forever.
Don't go to your usual bar or restaurant though.
It has to be somewhere new or else it's pointless.
2 - Be Understanding of His/Her Customs: If your significant other likes to go to mass on Christmas Eve or something, then, by all means, accompany the person if you're invited and you know it means something to the person.
If you are a hardcore atheist, then your significant other probably already knows that about you and will have the sense (and courtesy) to not invite you (although, you two probably won't make it in the long run).
However, even if you don't partake in the customs and don't agree with them, keep your mouth shut about it.
Your partner is an atheist and you're not? Fine.
Don't try to change the person.
3 - Listen: This is more of relationship advice than just holiday dating advice but it's especially important during the holidays.
Your significant other will drop hints.
Men do it, too - it's not just girls who drop hints, they just tend to be more subtle (sometimes too subtle).
They'll drop hints about gifts, about events, about what to do on Christmas Eve (if they celebrate Christmas, that is), and so forth.
Pay attention and listen.
4 - Choose a Great Gift: We wrote up above that events are more important than gifts (if done right) and that if you're broke, you shouldn't go nuts about getting an expensive gift, but the gift is still important.
The holidays are sort of like the playoffs of dating.
They're your chance to show that you know the person and that you really cared enough to find the right present.
Now, you might be those couples that discuss what they're getting before the holidays start and that's totally fine.
But if that's the case, then accompany the big gift with a small surprise.
It'll be unexpected and if it's the right gift, your significant other will love you for it.
5 - Be Polite: If you do meet your significant other's family, be polite.
They're someone else's family, not yours.
They love that other person unconditionally.
With you, there are many conditions you'll have to meet in order to earn that love.
No one likes the boyfriend who acts like he's the king, and no one likes the girlfriend who acts like a primadonna.
Help out with the dishes at the end of the meal, or at least offer your help.
If they say no, don't just say "okay" and walk away.
Insist.
If they say no again, then you're clear to leave but only after ascertaining that they're sure.
Compliment the chef and tell them you love the food (even if you hated it) but don't be too heavy-handed in your flattery.
The person cooking may not mind but everyone else will notice that you're sucking up and grow suspicious of you.
Meeting family is supposed to be stressful.
If you don't treat it as a big deal then it's likely that you're doing something wrong.
These ten pieces of advice will likely save you from a lot of stress during the holidays but they don't cover all of the bases (just the big ones).
In all other circumstances, and in the ones described above, just do one thing and you should be okay: Use your common sense.
If you do that, you likely won't go wrong.
If you don't do that, then you probably don't care too much about the person you're seeing anyhow.
And, of course, always remember to compromise.
While we don't have the answers to all of your holiday dating questions, we can certainly give you a few hints below: What not to do: 1 - Don't Dump Someone: This should be pretty obvious but, sadly, people do this one all the time.
Now, you should never stay in a relationship that's poisonous to you and if the problems are severe, then go ahead and dump the person whenever you want.
But if it's simply a case of boredom, then will two or three weeks really kill you? 2 - Don't be Too Busy: College students will often have this problem because they don't know how to enjoy the holidays yet (can you blame them, with all of those finals?).
But the problem doesn't just apply to them.
A lot of people just have no time during the holidays as companies scramble to make their numbers before the end of their fiscal years and try their best to capitalize on holiday business.
However, unless you're the President, you should be able to make time for your significant other (and even President Obama goes to holiday parties from time to time).
Don't be a jerk.
Make some sacrifices.
3 - Don't be Pushy About Family: If it's been over a year and your significant other doesn't want to meet your family, then you have a problem there.
But if your significant other wants to be with his/her family, and you want to be with yours, there's nothing wrong with that.
And if it's only been a couple of months, don't expect the person to rush to meet your folks, especially during the holidays.
It's stressful and it should be done at an appropriate time, not during a major holiday.
4 - Don't be an Ass About Presents: If your significant other is broke or unemployed or whatever, don't request a gift that costs $500.
That's just obnoxious.
If your significant other gets you something you don't like, then deal with it.
If you've been together long enough and you're both mature, you can likely talk about it and take it to the store and exchange it.
If you're in a new relationship or your partner tends to take things personally, suck it up and keep it to yourself.
Don't complain to others.
People talk and that can be very bad.
Also, get a present that the other person will like but don't feel a need to go for expensive.
If you can't afford it, then you can't afford it.
Also, NEVER buy a fake.
It's tacky and the epitome of not romantic.
5 - Don't Act Like an Idiot: Most people like to drink at holiday parties and so forth, but don't be the drunken idiot at the bar that everyone will remember the next day as "the drunken idiot at the bar.
" Be moderate when you consume alcohol, especially at work parties or at family events.
No one wants to be known as the person dating an alcoholic, either at work or with family.
This applies not only to dating but to life.
If it's your own work party, you should still use moderation.
What to do: 1 - Events Speak Louder than Gifts: Gifts are great, but events are better.
Yes, you can go all out and buy her diamond earrings, or you can get him nice watch, but why don't you also consider a nice date? If you can afford the event and the gift, don't take the date as a cop-out from having to buy a gift.
If you can't afford it, she'll know (or he, if you're the kind of girl who takes her man out for dinner, and why not?) and understand (if she, or he, doesn't then that relationship should end pretty soon).
Your partner will love the gift, but, if it's special enough, they'll remember the event forever.
Don't go to your usual bar or restaurant though.
It has to be somewhere new or else it's pointless.
2 - Be Understanding of His/Her Customs: If your significant other likes to go to mass on Christmas Eve or something, then, by all means, accompany the person if you're invited and you know it means something to the person.
If you are a hardcore atheist, then your significant other probably already knows that about you and will have the sense (and courtesy) to not invite you (although, you two probably won't make it in the long run).
However, even if you don't partake in the customs and don't agree with them, keep your mouth shut about it.
Your partner is an atheist and you're not? Fine.
Don't try to change the person.
3 - Listen: This is more of relationship advice than just holiday dating advice but it's especially important during the holidays.
Your significant other will drop hints.
Men do it, too - it's not just girls who drop hints, they just tend to be more subtle (sometimes too subtle).
They'll drop hints about gifts, about events, about what to do on Christmas Eve (if they celebrate Christmas, that is), and so forth.
Pay attention and listen.
4 - Choose a Great Gift: We wrote up above that events are more important than gifts (if done right) and that if you're broke, you shouldn't go nuts about getting an expensive gift, but the gift is still important.
The holidays are sort of like the playoffs of dating.
They're your chance to show that you know the person and that you really cared enough to find the right present.
Now, you might be those couples that discuss what they're getting before the holidays start and that's totally fine.
But if that's the case, then accompany the big gift with a small surprise.
It'll be unexpected and if it's the right gift, your significant other will love you for it.
5 - Be Polite: If you do meet your significant other's family, be polite.
They're someone else's family, not yours.
They love that other person unconditionally.
With you, there are many conditions you'll have to meet in order to earn that love.
No one likes the boyfriend who acts like he's the king, and no one likes the girlfriend who acts like a primadonna.
Help out with the dishes at the end of the meal, or at least offer your help.
If they say no, don't just say "okay" and walk away.
Insist.
If they say no again, then you're clear to leave but only after ascertaining that they're sure.
Compliment the chef and tell them you love the food (even if you hated it) but don't be too heavy-handed in your flattery.
The person cooking may not mind but everyone else will notice that you're sucking up and grow suspicious of you.
Meeting family is supposed to be stressful.
If you don't treat it as a big deal then it's likely that you're doing something wrong.
These ten pieces of advice will likely save you from a lot of stress during the holidays but they don't cover all of the bases (just the big ones).
In all other circumstances, and in the ones described above, just do one thing and you should be okay: Use your common sense.
If you do that, you likely won't go wrong.
If you don't do that, then you probably don't care too much about the person you're seeing anyhow.
And, of course, always remember to compromise.
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