You want the guy you’re dating to make things official and exclusive—and throw in a Facebook relationship status change so that everyone knows you’re both off the market. However, there are other important ways in which a guy should make your relationship official that matter even more.
- He introduces you to his BFF. Not just his acquaintances and friends he hasn’t seen since high school. The real display of being official with you is when you meet his best friend, the guy who knows all his most embarrassing secrets and has seen him at his worst. If your guy feels comfortable with you meeting that friend, then he’s clearly opening his world to you.
- He gives you full access to his home. It might be that he gives you space in his cupboard or he gives you a key to his place. Whatever the case, you should feel comfortable in his home and like you’re not overstepping a boundary by being there. He should also make you feel that you can show up at any time of the day or night and he wouldn’t have a problem with it. By letting you into his home, he’s letting you into his life without any restrictions.
- He’s there on your worst days. A relationship’s not really official unless the guy’s seen you at your worst—when you’re stuck on the side of a highway, your tears have messed up your makeup, or you’re sick in bed with a bad flu. If he steps up and runs to your side, then you know the relationship’s the real deal.
- He says “we.” When he stops referring to his future according to what he wants to achieve or where he wants to go, and instead starts speaking in terms of “we,” that’s a pretty cool relationship milestone to reach. It means that he sees you as being an important part of the future. You’ll be building it together.
- He tells his ex about you. It’s fine and well for him to tell his loved ones about you, but what about his exes? If he feels comfortable to make it known to them that he’s dating you, then he’s clearly making your relationship exclusive and official while showing you that he’s shutting the door to his past for good.
- He treats you like a queen in public. Of course, you want the guy who also treats you like a queen in private! The key is to ensure that his behavior doesn’t change when other people are around. A guy who downgrades his attention and love for you when you’re in public is not someone who’s serious or committed to you.
- He can get dark with you. When two people open up to each other about their deepest, darkest secrets, that’s a real show of trust. If your boyfriend does this with you, you know that he trusts you and wants you to know everything about him. He’s got nothing to hide from you. That’s such an important part of being in an official and committed relationship.
- He doesn’t have to do anything with you. He can party with you and go to the hottest spots in town, but can he just lie on the couch and do absolutely nothing? If you’ve reached that level of comfort in your relationship, things are real and they’re awesome.
- He can be quiet and it’s not weird. Everyone hates those silences that crop up during conversation, especially when you’ve only been dating a short while. But as the relationship grows and becomes more official, those silences need not be uncomfortable. In fact, they can be a good sign that your connection is real and you don’t have to try to impress each other.
- He takes you on vacation. The first trip you and your partner go on together can really show you what the relationship’s about and how well you deal when taken out of your comfort zone. If he’s keen on going away with you, whether you’re jet-setting to an exotic location or going on a road trip, it’s a good sign that he sees a real future with you. He can commit to planning a holiday, which shows that he’s not afraid to fit you into his life weeks or months in advance.
- He has you all over his social media. He makes it clear on Facebook that you’re his girlfriend but he doesn’t stop there. He shares some couple selfies of you on Instagram without going OTT. He loves giving the world a hint of the amazing life you’re living with each other, not to boast but to share his happiness. The thing that’s so awesome about this is that he’s including you in his online life. There’s no dodgy hiding you away from his friends and followers. He’s very comfortable with the world knowing that he’s yours and yours alone.
