Being a millennial is tough. There’s so much more pressure on us than there once used to be. Back in the day as they say it, there was the pressure to bring in the money to support the household you were growing up in. You were pretty much set to find the love of your life at a dance, have a normal family life, and then they produced the generation that then created us. Over the generations, the pressures of life have gradually got worse.
We’re now far more financial trouble, there are so many things we’re expected to have accomplished, and so many new challenges to try and overcome. But the world we’re living in today has never been better in terms of lifestyle and opportunity. The same people who you envy for having fewer problems in life, did not have all of the luxuries that we have today. One aspect of life that’s definitely different for a millenial, are relationships.
Relationships have always presented their own set of challenges. You’re either destined to be with someone or you’re not. But it has to be said that relationships back in the day were far simpler than they are now. We’re going to explore why that might be, some of the troubles you might be having, and if the perfect relationship does exist. We could talk for days about relationships, but instead, we’re going to try and show you the reality of millennial relationships, so possibly you don’t feel so alone!
The Infidelity
More commonly known as cheating, it’s a problem that has almost become the norm in society. It’s hard to get into a relationship at the minute without having that fear in your mind that you’re going to be cheated on. Or, you might have the problem of being the cheater yourself. Some people crave the deep love of a relationship, but can’t help but wonder what it might be like somewhere else. The temptation becomes too much, and eventually, it leads to infidelity.
If you’re someone who does it without remorse, the single life might be the life for you. Because when you’re on the receiving end of the news that you’ve been cheated on, it’s horrible. It can seriously crush a person’s soul, ruining their ability to have a romantic relationship in the future. But is this a new problem, or is it a problem that was commonly found without all the avenues to cheat that there are today. Today there are dating sites, a social life based around drinking and flirting to do so, and social media.
There may have been the temptation back in the day in terms of attraction to other people, but being able to actually cheat had to be far more calculated. We know, however, that the number of people being cheated on at the minute it huge, and there are some red flags to look out for. Simple things like not leaving their phone around you, to acting a certain way around other women can all be signed. Often you get that gut feeling when something is going wrong with your relationship, especially where cheating is concerned.
The Romance
Romance has definitely changed, and for so many different reasons. One of the main reasons is because there’s so much money and so many more things to do. Romance has become something that is sought more deeply by people. Often we think it’s because of influences from films and celebrity life. When it comes down to it, romance should be based around the love that you have together and having that connection.
Before you look at what the person can offer you and what you can get out of the relationship, you should look for the connection. Think about what they like and what they dislike, their personality, and then their looks. If you go for looks first, you might not always get the relationship that you’re looking for. We have also noticed that relationships now die down in terms of romance as the years go on. Once that honeymoon period is over and you both get settled, it’s easy to lose the spark because you’re around each other all the time.
It’s more of a modern-day problem because society expects relationships to be around doing things and having that connection that was there in the beginning. To keep it more alive, we think that you should stick to dating as much as you possibly can. Going out on a date at least once a month is going to allow you to have that fun. Stopping in hotels and going for cocktails and nice food is a great way to keep that romance alive.
It’s often found that long term relationships come hand in hand with a reduced sex life which can put massive strains on a relationship. However, sex has never been safer or easier. Durex is just one of the brands who is trying to promote safe sex and sex that’s enjoyable. It’s a key aspect of a relationship and one that shouldn’t die out over time.
We also think that keeping your own life is important. You need to have an outlet that isn’t your relationship, and that space with friends and family is the way to achieve it. Often friendships die out when two people are completely involved in their relationships, only to be regretted at a later date when they have no life outside of it.
The Partnership
Whoever you’re with, you need to make sure that you have a partnership with them. A partnership is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s making sure that you both have an equal part in the relationship. It used to be said that relationships were one-sided because it was the male who was putting in all of the efforts when it came to making the relationship work.
The male would be expected to treat the woman as a proper woman. Meals out, drinks, fancy clothes and jewelry, all so that they could be happy. But often the man would get little in return, which could eventually leave to the males calling the females needing amongst many other things. But we now feel that men are becoming far needier, and it’s often the woman who is bending over backward to keep them happy, whilst they’re getting little in return.
A common millennial fault is that we chase the people who are doing wrong by us because we think they’re going to be able to change for us. So our top tip if you want a relationship that’s just as easy as it was back in the day, is to make sure that the partnership is equal. Put in as much as you’re getting out of the relationship, and if you aren’t getting as much out as you would like, leave! One-sided relationships are never going to be the ones to go all of the ways.
Family Life
Family life is more common at the minute. It used to be that family life would be created when a couple was married and ready to start one. It was rare that couples would live together outside of marriage, let alone have children together. But nowadays, family life is far more common. Couples are having children whilst they’re still children.
The tradition of living together before starting a family has died, which is why divorce rates have never been higher. Commonly couples are married for a few years before they split and create a broken family. To keep family alive, we’d first make sure that you’re not starting a family unless you know you’re both in it for the rest of your lives. Commit to someone forever, not just because you’re wrapped up in the now. If you’ve jumped into family life, work at it. Make sure that you look at counseling if you feel like your relationship is failing, and just work at it.
When children are involved in family life is always going to be the best upbringing for them. Like dating when you’re in a relationship, you still need to have that life. Get out and go on dates with your partner, as well as get out and do things as a family. There are so many things that you can do now to keep family and relationship life alive.
Who Was Better Off?
So, who do you think was better off? It might have been easier for relationships to have stayed structured and loyal back in the day because that was what was expected of couples. Cheating was seen as a really terrible act, as was getting a divorce.
We often feel like people found their soulmate a lot quicker as well. However, modern-day relationships seem to be a lot more fun. The dating world has never been more fun, with meals cocktails, days out, and spa days galore, you can never be bored. So who do you think was better off?
