Baltimore Sun Sunday

Partner spends too much time with friends

- By Christen A. Johnson

Each person has a different idea of what the ideal relationsh­ip-friendship balance looks like. Conflict can arise when two people with different ideals enter into a relationsh­ip.

Set guidelines with your partner for how much time you want to spend together. Schedule nights during the week. If your partner still allows friend time to kibosh these dates, refer back to your earlier arrangemen­t.

You can say something like, “We agreed that we wanted to spend three nights per week of quality time together, but for the past two weeks, you’ve had five nights with friends.”

This exercise can raise your partner’s awareness of his or her own priorities — and of neglecting them — and can open the door to a more meaningful discussion.

One of the big mistakes we make in relationsh­ips is bringing up what we don’t like instead of asking for what we want.

If you complain about the friends, it is likely your partner won’t take it well and will tell them. You don’t want them talking badly about you or making things harder.

Tell your partner you desire more time together. If you want to feel more a part of the friend circle, work harder to get to know your partner’s friends.

If your partner’s closest friends are people you don’t want to hang with, that is something to take note of because your partner is likely to have some similar ways.

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ROY MEHTA/GETTY

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