Love and relationship are huge parts of any average person’s life. You meet people, fall in love, and want to continue your whole life with them. But the relationships in real life aren’t as simple as we perceive them, understanding a relationship is as hard as understanding neuroscience. In the present times, to be safe and sound in any relationship you need to be aware of the red flags in a relationship. You should also know what is a healthy relationship timeline and what are the 5 stages of a relationship. This article here describes everything about relationships so that you don’t feel confused while being in one.
1. What is a Healthy Relationship Timeline?
There are certain stages that every couple has to go through in a relationship. But it won’t be wrong to say that there isn’t any hard and fast timeline for a healthy relationship. After all, what may work for you may not work for others and what works for them is not effective in your case. Some people don’t even go on a second date with a person if they don’t develop any feelings or get surety on the first date with that person whereas some people go for marriage even when they are fully sure about the other person.
How your relationship unfolds doesn’t determine its success or failure. But even after all these things, people crave to know what is a healthy relationship timeline. A typical relationship timeline somewhat unfolds in this sequence:
- First Date,
- First Kiss,
- Few Initial Dates,
- Dating,
- Honeymoon Phase,
- Visiting each other’s homes,
- Exclusivity,
- Meeting each other’s friends,
- Commitment,
- End of the Honeymoon Phase,
- Family Meetings,
- Sex and Sleepovers,
- Traveling Together,
- Moving in Together,
- Engaged and Married, and
- Have Kids and beyond.
2. What are the 5 Stages of a Relationship?
Now that you know what is a healthy relationship timeline it’s time to learn the stages of a relationship. Romance is beautiful but complicated. A relationship is a very important part of one’s life and it doesn’t develop overnight. Just like any other important event, it also unfolds in stages. It is divided into 5 states. To get some more idea of what is a healthy relationship timeline, let’s understand what are the 5 stages of a relationship with the following points:
- The courtship stage: You all may agree with this point that the start of any relationship is the most blissful as well as a memorable stage. It’s the stage where you are falling in love. During this time you engage in a lot of activities with your partner, you spend a lot of time together, you kind of isolate yourself from your friends and family, and this is also the time when the sexual intimacy between you and your partner is very high. Couples tend to ignore the differences between them in this phase and only focus on similarities. They only show their good qualities. Usually, this phase lasts for several months to 2 years.
- Marriage or Moving in: After the courtship stage passes, couples gave more attention to the world around them. You will again start spending time with friends and family. You will not solely focus on each other. It’s a stage where you will become more aware of your differences and thus you can have more conflicts. During this time learn to respectfully express your differences and explore ways that work for both of you. This stage focuses on whether to have kids or not.
- Having kids: After finding some stability the couples decide if they want to have kids or not. If as a couple you decide not to have kids it can be both easier and hard. Children bring new energy to the relationship and without any new energy, the relationship can turn to stagnate. Otherwise, you will have to bring new energy into your relationship. On the other hand, if you have decided to have a kid then you will have to create a suitable balance between your relationship and parenting. It’s a phase where you need to communicate more honestly, openly, and non-judgmentally.
- Stabilizing Stage: When your children grow up and turn independent, your parental duties aren’t as hard and fast as before. Now you have more time for yourself and your relationship. You can now learn and discover more things and do more outdoor activities. This is the quietest stage of a relationship where you have developed flexibility and acceptance. Here couples turn into companions.
- The Beyond Stage: Whether you are a couple with children or not this phase of a relationship is filled with adaptability and change. In this phase, you will again become sexual. You will have to find new starting points. You will plan retirement and work. And you will deal with old-age issues.
3. How can You Know if you are Ready to Move in with your Boyfriend?
Now that you have learned what is a healthy relationship timeline and what are the 5 stages of a relationship, it’s time to throw light on yet another important question that bugs every woman in a relationship. Most women are always conscious of every stage of their relationship. They don’t want to push things too early and seem forceful. If you are a woman in a relationship at one point in your relationship you may wonder how can you know if you are ready to move in with your boyfriend. Actually, there are certain signs in your relationship that signify that you can move in with your significant other. Some of these signs are:
- You are basically staying with your partner. You may be with them 5 or 6 nights a week and this works out for you.
- You both are ready to deepen your commitment. Waking up next to them excites you rather than scaring you.
- You have a shared understanding of your future. You both should be on the same page about what the move-in means for you.
- You feel stability in your financial situation with your beloved. After all, moving in is different from just being roommates. You need to clearly discuss finances with your partner.
- Don’t move in to solve conflicts and problems because moving in will only increase them further.
- Only move in when you feel this step is symbolic of a deeper commitment in your relationship.
4. How long should You Wait before Moving in Together?
You all know what is a healthy relationship timeline and how it is different for different couples. The perfect time for moving in together varies from couple to couple. Moving in is the most dramatic step of a relationship. If you go by the Standford University survey of How Couples Meet and Stay Together then we derive that about 25% of American couples move in by 4 months of their relationship, and about 50 percent after a year. And about 70% had moved in by two years. However, about 10% of the couples don’t move in together even after dating for 4 years.
So there isn’t any specific move in time. You have to take this leap of faith based on your and your partner’s understanding and response. (See When is National Relationship Day?)
5. When should You Move in with your Partner?
There is always a time in your relationship when you wonder when should you move in with your partner. A move-in is a very important step and one should not take it in haste. Move in when you feel this step will deepen your commitment. It should happen at a period when both of you are mature enough to maintain a level of independence and commitment. (See What is an Unhealthy Relationship?)
6. How long is the Honeymoon Phase?
Now that you know when should you move in with your partner it’s important for you to explore how long is the honeymoon phase. The honeymoon phase is known as the courtship stage and is the early stage of a couple’s relationship. This stage lasts from 6 months to 2 years. It’s the most carefree and happy phase full of intimacy. (See What is Romantic Love in Psychology?)
7. What are the 5 Stages of Dating?
A great relationship is determined by what is a healthy relationship timeline and how long is the honeymoon phase in it. It’s the phase of attraction and one of the initial stages of dating. Every relationship goes through the same five stages of dating. These stages are attraction, reality, commitment, intimacy, and engagement. Now, you must be clear about what are the 5 stages of dating. Read 10 Red Flags in a Relationship with a Woman.
8. What happens in a 5 Month Relationship?
After exploring what are the 5 stages of dating, let’s learn about the various durations and happening of relationships. Many couples fall apart in less than 5 months as the lust stage goes away over the 5-month time. Till now if you were confusing love with lust then you will realize it here. Check out the 20 Reasons People Break Up.
9. Is 6 Months a Milestone in Relationships?
Yes, 6 months is a milestone in a relationship as by this time all your lustful feelings and infatuation begin to decrease. The feeling of love-at-first sight is now replaced with deeper and stronger romantic feelings.
10. Is 8 Months Too Soon to Move in Together?
There isn’t a hard and fast rule covering moving in together. Some couples move in together in just a month of dating and some don’t even dare do it after 4 years of dating. It’s a person-to-person thing. If you feel confident and comfortable with the idea of living with your partner after 8 months of a relationship then just go for it without wondering what is a healthy relationship timeline and how to follow that. (Also read How Marriage between Individuals who have Similar Social Characteristics happens?)
