So, you’ve managed to find someone who’s willing to be more than just your average friend. It’s easy to get excited over the idea of a sexual partner with no strings attached, but that can come with many unprecedented risks.
In fact, many FWB relationships end early because someone in the relationship develops romantic feelings for the other. All that passionate sex might have been just a little TOO passionate, you know?
With these risks in mind, it’s important that you need to set ground rules before really hitting off your FWB relationships. Some of these rules may be blatantly obvious to some of you, while others may be rules you didn’t really expect you’d need until now.
1. Properly establish the relationship with your partner
There’s a good chance that you and your FWB were once no more than friends, and maybe a drunk night out clubbing or drinking awakened your inner desires for each other. If that’s the case, there’s also a good chance that you two aren’t really sure exactly WHAT your relationship is. Be sure to define what you want in your relationship with your partner before any confusion happens.
2. Don’t Treat Them Like a Romantic Partner
Remember, the entire point of the relationship is having no strings attached. So no dates, no dinners together, and nothing that can spark any romantic interest in one another. Acting overly affectionate can send the wrong message to your partner, which can quickly ruin the relationship.
3. Don’t Let Your Friends Know About Your Relationship
It can be tempting to brag about your new relationship with the boys, but doing so can turn things real bad real quick. You don’t want to have your FWB partner as part of your day-to-day life as much as possible, and letting friends know about them will just complicate things further.
4. Make sure you can end your relationship cleanly
This is more of a preemptive rule than one that you set with an existing FWB, but be sure to find someone that you can break away from smoothly. Don’t go and look for pleasure from your co-workers, neighbors, and especially your inner circle of friends. Because once you do end your relationship, prepare for extreme levels of awkwardness 24/7.
5. Be Groomed and Prepared
You’re in an FWB relationship purely for sex, so be sure to make it as enjoyable for you and your partner as much as possible. If they want you to shave and you’re willing, then shave, and please for the love of God, wash your genitals before getting it on. Also, always bring protection if you can, not just as an act of courtesy, but to make sure you don’t end up extending your relationship… indefinitely.
Getting into a Friends with Benefits relationship can be both exciting and confusing for the first time, so be sure to set these ground rules before you start turning that one-night stand into your weekly gig.
