

{"id":31894,"date":"2019-01-04T10:36:56","date_gmt":"2019-01-04T10:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=31894"},"modified":"2025-03-27T10:37:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T10:37:59","slug":"why-is-dating-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/why-is-dating-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is Dating Important in a Relationship?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31896 size-full\" title=\"Why Is Dating Important in a Relationship?\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Why-Is-Dating-Important-in-a-Relationship.jpg\" alt=\"Why Is Dating Important in a Relationship?\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you&rsquo;re young, going out on dates with different people is a great way to see what type of person you are attracted to. But as you get older, dating stops becoming an exploration of people and starts on a path toward finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dating is important in relationships because it helps you get to know one another better. This time period is spent seeing how compatible you are with each other and to figure out whether you see the relationship going anywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you in a new relationship that you would like to see progress down the road of marriage? Here are 7 reasons why dating is important in a relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1Helps-you-develop-a-friendship\"><\/span>1.Helps you develop a friendship<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you and your spouse get along? This is one of the biggest reasons why dating is important in a relationship &ndash; you get to know each other on a deeper level. You understand how you interact and what your chemistry is like.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/experts\/dionne-reid\">Dionne Eleanor<\/a>, Relationship &amp; Empowerment Mentor, says<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A relationship built on friendship weathers storms and celebrates sunshine with equal grace.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does your spouse always seem to say the wrong thing or are they someone who can always make you laugh? Research shows that<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semanticscholar.org\/paper\/Sexual-Selection-and-Humor-in-Courtship-Hall\/8346fa7458f5e05e6bde243ec36549b9692f7daa?p2df\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">couples who laugh together<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are more likely to stay together than couples who don&rsquo;t.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research reveals that couples experience less stress and greater happiness while spending time with each other. This study highlights the importance of<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4712716\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">spending quality time together<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as a couple and developing a marital friendship instead of just a romance.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2Puts-the-relationship-to-the-test\"><\/span>2.Puts the relationship to the test<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part of dating in relationships is about learning how you and your partner handle unexpected situations.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dionne Eleanor further adds,<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">True compatibility isn&rsquo;t just found in laughter; it&rsquo;s revealed in how you hold each other during life&rsquo;s trials.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loss of a loved one, losing your job, getting seriously ill, or having an unplanned pregnancy are all curveballs you may experience in your life together.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before getting serious, you should make sure that your partner is someone who is patient, loving, supportive, and strong when situations get hard.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3Learn-how-to-resolve-arguments\"><\/span>3.Learn how to resolve arguments<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you and your spouse know how to tactfully bring up issues in the relationship or do your disagreements often turn into World War III?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dionne Eleanor comments,<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The way you argue reveals how you value each other&rsquo;s hearts and hopes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before settling down with someone, you must learn how to argue respectfully.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research shows that<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">going to bed angry can actually have a lasting negative side effect. When you go to sleep without resolving your issues, your brain begins to hold on to negative memories which can interrupt your sleep and make you feel depressed or irritated in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to avoid the pitfalls of arguments, learn the art of compromise. Meet in the middle and cut your partner some slack whenever it is reasonable to do so. It&rsquo;s also important to try and see things from their point of view. This will help you find the real issue at hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4Do-your-future%E2%80%99s-align\"><\/span>4.Do your future&rsquo;s align?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How well does your future align with your spouse? You get along great and your chemistry is out of this world, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean you want the same things out of life. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Some important topics for discussion include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your location. He wants to move, she wants to stay in the city to be closer to her family.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your career. She wants to switch careers, he&rsquo;s uncomfortable with her giving up the financial stability her current job brings.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your home. He wants to buy, she wants to rent.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your family. She wants to be a mother, he has never had a parental inclination.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are all important aspects to know about your potential future with someone. For example, disagreeing about children can lead to extremely painful and resentful circumstances if not discussed beforehand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having children must be a mutual decision, so ask your partner how they feel about it before you&rsquo;re too deep in the relationship to dig your way out.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&rsquo;s imperative you both agree on matters of finances, location, careers, and family before moving forward with your relationship.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dionne Eleanor adds here,<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alignment in dreams, values, and goals turns a good relationship into an extraordinary partnership.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5-Learahe-healthy-way-to-communicate\"><\/span>5. Learahe healthy way to communicate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-31897 size-full\" title=\"Learahe healthy way to communicate\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Learahe-healthy-way-to-communicate.jpg\" alt=\"Learahe healthy way to communicate\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lack of communication is cited as one of the most common reasons for married couples to end up divorced. Therefore, it&rsquo;s essential that you and your sweetheart learn how to talk to one another before you take a big step like moving in together or getting married.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dionne Eleanor suggests,<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy communication is less about speaking perfectly and more about listening with compassion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A great partner is someone who listens patiently while you are speaking, instead of waiting for you to take a breath so that they can jump in with their own opinions.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy communication also involves respectful speech. They don&rsquo;t use an argument as an invitation to tear you down or belittle you. Instead, they look at disagreements as an opportunity to solve a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6Meet-friends-and-family\"><\/span>6.Meet friends and family<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can tell a lot about a person by who they choose to spend their time with. One benefit to dating in relationships is that you get to know your spouse&rsquo;s close friends and family. You get a better idea of the way they behave around other people and the type of people you are choosing to let into your life.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intimate love is not just between two people&mdash;it often extends to an ecosystem they build with others.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">adds Dionne Eleanor<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7Learn-financial-standing\"><\/span>7.Learn financial standing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dating in relationships also gives you the opportunity to get to know how well your spouse does with the money.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research indicates that millennials are more likely to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2018\/07\/27\/75-percent-of-millennial-couples-talk-about-money-at-least-once-a-week.html\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">discuss money<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than any other generation thus far, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean that everyone is so comfortable dishing out the dirt about their finances. In a Money Matters report done by Acorns,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sqy7rm.media.zestyio.com\/Acorns2017_MoneyMattersReport.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">68% of couples<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> said they would rather talk about how much their weigh than talk about how much money they had in savings. Ouch!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talking about finances is an important part of any mature relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How will you separate your finances?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which of you have debts and how will you pay them off?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the relationship progresses, will you join bank accounts or keep them separated?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is your spouse good with money or are they financially irresponsible?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make it your goal to communicate openly about your finances while you&rsquo;re dating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&rsquo;re in a new relationship, don&rsquo;t rush things. Dating is an essential step toward finding your forever person. Dating will help you and your spouse develop a friendship, learn to communicate, and see how your futures align.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>At this point, Dionne Eleanor adds,<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A thriving partnership requires financial honesty, this is not only for practical reasons but also emotional too.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn and grow from your experiences together and you will see your relationship progress toward marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":""},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you&rsquo;re young, going out on dates with different people is a great way to see what type of person you are attracted to. But as you get older, dating stops becoming an exploration of people and starts on a path toward finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Dating is important in relationships because it helps you get to know one another better. This time period is spent seeing how compatible you are with each other and to figure out whether you see the relationship going anywhere. Are you in a new relationship <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1390,"featured_media":31896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2498],"tags":[2586],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31894"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1390"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31894"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108015,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31894\/revisions\/108015"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}