Lifestyle: Relationship advice for women from men

When a girl needs a bit of advice about men, where does she normally turn? Other girls, of course, but then, that’s a bit like asking your doctor to fix your car. Your doctor may well know a lot about cars and be more than able to give you some sound advice, but wouldn’t it be easier to talk to a mechanic? It occurred to us that, if we wanted some relationship tips on how women should deal with men, then we should ask some men and these are ten of the tips that they gave us:

1. Guys can be just good friends

Forget whatever else you’ve heard. It is perfectly possible for a man to be just friends with a girl. In fact, a man can be best buddies with a member of the opposite gender and it can still be purely a platonic friendship, so don’t drive yourself crazy, every time your guy talks to another girl.

2. Keep it simple

Men want a simple and straightforward relationship. No mind games, no manipulation and don’t expect a man to read your mind. Straightforward communication is what a guy wants: an agreement on how fast a relationship is moving and the direction in which it is heading, and if you don’t like something, make sure to tell him about it without expecting him to read your mind.

3. Don’t pretend to like things that you don’t

Another relationship advice for women from men is – don’t pretend to like something when you really don’t. A guy would rather like that you say you don’t like football than you sit in silence through the game pretending that you do. There’s nothing wrong with having different interests, that’s a part of what makes a relationship fun and, if you pretend to like something that really doesn’t, he’s only going to feel guilty, when he finds out that he made you sit through it.

4. Men do want commitment

It’s a myth that men are scared of commitment. They may worry about the responsibilities of marriage and children, and they won’t want to commit to that until they are ready, but they value commitment and fidelity far more than you might imagine.

5. A man is not a work in progress for you to complete

Next relationship advice for women from men is – don’t try to change your man. Men want to be appreciated for who they are and not for what you think you can turn them into. Treating a man like a pet project and trying to change him will just make him feel inadequate and unappreciated and, ultimately, turn him away from you.

6. Not all men are the same

Another relationship advice for women from men is – don’t consider all men the same. One thing that really frustrates a man is being told that you are afraid of being hurt again. Just because your last boyfriend was the lowest of the low, doesn’t mean that your current man will be the same. Men are not all the same, so leave your baggage where it belongs, in the past.

7. Men need their ‘man moments’

Boys need their boys’ nights out. There’s nothing to be jealous about and nothing is going on. Men just need their male bonding moments and, when they get home, they’ll love you even more, because they work out that they missed you.

8. Guys love a woman with identity and opinion

Men like to be wanted and even to be needed, but not all the time! They like it when their partners have their own identity, opinions, aspirations and dreams, and they love a woman who can stand on her own two feet at his side.

9. Men love being appreciated and they do love praise

Another relationship advice for women from men is – make sure to show some appreciation to your man. Men hate being run down and picked on but they do love being appreciated. An honest opinion, even a negative one, will be well received if it is sincere, but constant nitpicking will just lose its effect after a while, especially, if you also don’t give praise, where praise is due.

10. Communication, about everything, is important

Guys are no good at all at reading subtle signs, so a good and straightforward communication is the key to a successful relationship. Don’t be afraid to discuss with your partner what’s good for you and what’s not. Just be gentle and constructive and he will listen because he really does want to make it right for you.

Do you have some other relationship advice for women? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Stay happy!