Reader Question:
How long when you’re dating someone should it take for them to know if they want to make it an exclusive relationship?
-Blanca R. (Rhode Island)
Dr. Wendy Walsh’s Answer:
Sounds like you know you’re ready for exclusivity before your man is. Join the club, girlfriend. Most women are ready before their boyfriend is. It’s not about the length of time, as much as the level of life integration, trust and intimacy.
- Have you met each other’s family?
- Have you met all of his friends?
- Are you talking nearly daily?
- Are you having sex?
If you answered yes to all of these questions and you don’t have a verbal commitment, you are exposing your eggs, your bloodstream and your heart to a high-risk, low-criteria relationship. Get definition or back way off.
If, on the other hand, you’ve made the mistake of moving too fast and it seems silly to be asking for a commitment after only a month or two of dating, then the problem isn’t his lack of commitment. The problem is the false intimacy you’ve created too early.
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