If You’re Arguing Early In Your New Relationship, Do These 4 Things Before The 3-Month Mark

During the first few months of dating, it's important to clarify your boundaries and make sure you understand each other's expectations. You want to be in agreement early on, to prevent unnecessary conflict down the road. Unfortunately, at the beginning of a relationship, both partners tend to shy away from discussing critical topics. It’s easy to become so obsessed with the great parts of your new relationship — the chemistry, the laughs, the common interests — that you forget to lay the groundwork for productive disagreements down the road.

"This is the time when they're figuring each other out, and it's also the time when they're the least confident in asking their partners for clarity, articulating boundaries, and feeling secure that making requests won't scare the other one off," says Vienna Pharaon, a licensed marriage and family therapist in New York City. When you first start seeing someone, you’re focused on presenting yourself in the best possible light. Who wants their crush to know their embarrassing quirks or insecurities right off the bat? Still, it’s important to make sure you two are in agreement about where your relationship stands. Pharaon says that some common conversations you should be having include establishing boundaries and "essentially agreeing to the terms of the relationship."

Early on, discuss what exactly you're doing, whether you're seeing other people or in an exclusive relationship, and what you're each ultimately looking for. If you don't initiate these conversations at the start of your relationship, you won't know whether you and your partner are on the same page.

Meredith Shirey, a couples therapist and the founder of a private counseling practice in New York City, explains that early in a relationship, you are more likely to overlook big conflict indicators. Whether it's a disagreement about culture, family, time management, or affection, when you're feeling connected to your partner and positive about the relationship, you tend to minimize the importance of these potential differences. Are you a big planner, but your partner would rather live spontaneously? Do you hate PDA while your partner loves it? "As you’re getting to know your partner, you’re going to be more flexible and accommodating," says Shirey. Even if you put up with these differences initially, there’s a chance that they’ll eventually catch up to you, potentially breeding resentment. It's not until later on in the relationship that you'll see a rise in conflict and really notice those differences.

But the more difficult the conversation, the more important it is to have. "If there’s a point of contention, if something is bothering you, how likely are you to let your partner know that that’s an issue for you?" asks Shirey. "If you say not very likely, why is that? Do an internal check: 'Is it because I’m fearful of my partner’s response or I’m afraid they’re going to be defensive or invalidate me in some way?'" How you handle these more complex issues is a huge indicator of whether or not your relationship will last. Deep breaths… you can do this.

"Healthy arguments involve self-aware and self-reflective individuals who listen to understand. These conversations require vulnerability and ask us to bravely share our hurt, fears, and insecurities with another," says Pharaon. It's OK to have conflict, but ultimately, it’s more productive to discuss with your partner, rather than argue. In order to share your side more effectively, she suggests thinking about the message you're trying to communicate before you speak.

"Take ownership of what it is you want and need, and stay away from blaming the other person. The healthiest couples make the other person’s experience and feelings just as important as their own," Pharaon says. Approach the conversation from a place of curiosity rather than accusation. You like this person and want to be with them, so making them feel seen and heard is a big indicator that you care about their perspective. If your partner is responsive and makes you feel validated, that's a good sign your relationship will last. She notes an important quote from Shonda Rhimes' Year of Yes: "The more difficult the conversation, the greater the freedom." You’re building trust right off the bat.

Additionally, the sooner you can talk to your partner about a problem, the better. "People who can address things sooner and have a more peaceful way of talking about it tend to have better outcomes in their relationship," says Shirey. It can feel easier to avoid talking about conflict, especially when you're worried about fighting in the early stages of the relationship, but Shirey says that avoidant behavior might actually be indicative of an unhealthy dynamic.

Both Shirey and Pharaon mention John Gottman's studies about relationship success or failure. Gottman's research shows that the four greatest predictors your relationship won't last are contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and stonewalling. These are all examples of how not to approach an argument.

"Contempt means saying something with the intention of being disparaging of your partner’s character," explains Shirey. She says that contempt means communicating a sense of superiority. It can be expressed through any kind of name-calling, eye-rolling, or the use of sarcasm that’s not playful, but meant to hit a nerve. (Think passive-aggressive comments to your partner during an otherwise fun date.) "If contempt is prevalent, you can almost guarantee that those couples aren’t going to make it, unless they do a giant overhaul of their communication very quickly," says Shirey.

Shirey describes criticism as a lighter version of contempt — a complaint about who your partner is as a person (which is just going to offend them). Criticism is easier to bounce back from than contempt, but it still needs to be addressed. "One person will make a critical comment and the other person will respond with a defensive reaction," says Shirey. "You see that snowball escalation where there are slamming doors, raised voices, and eventually getting to stonewalling, where you retreat from the relationship. You’re so emotionally overwhelmed that you have to put some distance there."