Both people must have well defined boundaries of what’s acceptable, and what’s not.
A well-defined boundary is when you make it clear to people what you will and won’t accept in your life. The problems arise when one of you starts to do something the other person doesn’t want in their life. For example, if you don’t like smoking and don’t want to be with a smoker, but that person starts smoking, you’ll feel a personal boundary is being violated.
- Reciprocation must be as close to equal as possible.
If you take out the garbage, they do the dishes. If they wash your car, you clean the carpets. If they buy your dinner, you get the next one. So on and so on.
There must be an attempt at understanding each other’s difficulties in life
- Without some alone time, you will develop resentment.
