(Not including the drunk 'I lov yooouu' text three weeks in)
Words by Jadie Troy-Pryde
We don't need to tell you that dating can be a massive pain in the backside. Ever been seeing someone and they've suddenly disappeared into thin air, never to be heard of again? You've been ghosted. Ever had that happen and then suddenly three months later the ghost has returned from the dead and started texting you as if nothing had happened? You've been zombied. And if your OH as hopped from a relationship with you to an intense love affair with someone new in next to no time, you're probably a victim of cushioning.
Yep. Dating can suck. But what if that casual Tinder hook-up is now a fully-fledged relationship and you're in the throes of new love? You might be wondering when is 'too soon' to upload a soppy coupley picture of the pair of you on Facebook, or when to tell your mum that you can go to your cousins wedding with an actual date.
The truth is that every relationship is unique and there are no time stamps for the important milestones. However, a survey conducted by Match.com revealed the average time that couples wait to do these things together.
The survey asked 2,000 British men and women to map out their average relationship journey to give us all some idea of when people first do coupley things, from sleeping together for the first time, to going away together, to settling down and having children - and this is what they found...
1-2 weeks:
Hold hands
Sleep together
1 month:
Undress with the lights off
Introduce them to your best friend
3 months:
See them without makeup
Call each other boyfriend/girlfriend
5 months:
Say 'I love you'
First argument
6 months:
Introduce them to your parents
Leave a toothbrush at their house
7 months:
Go away together for a night
9 months:
Go on holiday together
Talk about 'the future'
2 - 2.5 years:
Get engaged
Videos you may like:
Video you may like:
Get a pet
2.5 - 3 years:
Buy a home together
Get married
3 - 4 years:
Have a child
Whether or not your relationship looks exactly or nothing like the averages doesn't matter - Kate Taylor, a dating expert for Match said: 'While each relationship moves at its own pace, daters are often reassured by comparing their experiences with others'.
'We all ask our friends, 'When did you know your partner was The One?' or, 'How long did you wait before you kissed?' If your relationship isn't falling within these time frames, use them to adjust your expectations.'
Or, you know, just do whatever feels comfortable for you and your partner. Sage advice if we do say so ourselves.