Once upon a time, back in middle school, when a boy and a girl both admitted to liking each other, it automatically made them boyfriend and girlfriend. There were no games, there was no confusion, and everything was cut and dry; you were either in a relationship, or you weren\u2019t. If only it were still so simple, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These days, you have to work up to being in a relationship. There are steps along the way: first comes casual dating, then comes exclusive dating, and then comes being in a relationship. Believe it or not, all three of those are very distinct stages with their own rules and expectations. Even though they may sound the same, there are big differences. Sound confusing? We\u2019ll help break it down for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider this your official guide to understanding the differences between casual dating, exclusive dating, and being in a relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Casual dating is exactly that: casual. Exclusive dating means you\u2019re both not dating anybody else. This is the trickiest phase to define because it\u2019s like a holding area. Think of exclusive dating as the period between casual dating and being in a relationship. Things you do: exclusively date one person, get to know them better, meet their friends, pause your dating app activity, and agree that you\u2019re not seeing anyone else. Things you don\u2019t do quite yet: call each other boyfriend\/girlfriend, take vacations together, and commit to attending events more than a few weeks in the future together, like weddings or concerts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exclusive dating is like the trial run for the relationship itself. It\u2019s the period of learning someone’s likes, dislikes, hopes, dreams, goals, and future plans. If you both enjoy getting to know each other and spending time together during the exclusive dating phase, it will likely lead to the relationship phase. Just make sure that\u2019s what you both want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you get to know your date during the exclusive dating phase, of the most important thing to find out is if you\u2019re looking for the same thing. Be open and honest. If you\u2019re looking for a long-term partner, this is an important step in your journey together. But if you\u2019re not looking for something serious, it\u2019s probably best not to exclusively date someone. Why get their hopes up if you\u2019re not ready to commit to the next phase?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being in a relationship means putting a label on it. Once you\u2019re in a relationship, you might feel pressure to act differently because it\u2019s official now. But the truth is, if you had a blast during the exclusive dating phase, just keep doing what you\u2019re doing, and the relationship will unfold naturally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" First comes casual dating, then comes exclusive dating, and then comes being in a relationship…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":16967,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[884],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dating-advice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong>Casual dating is the phase of dating that gives you the most freedom. When you\u2019re casually dating, you might be seeing more than one person. You\u2019re still using your dating apps, matching and messaging with new people, and going on first dates and second dates and third dates. When you\u2019re casually dating, you should expect that your dates are also casually dating; it\u2019s just part of meeting new people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>Dating goes from casual to exclusive when, typically after a few dates, you both decide you\u2019d like to see each other exclusively. While there are no hard and fast rules for what exclusive dating has to mean to you\u2014every duo can define the boundaries for themselves\u2014there are some general guidelines that will give you an idea of what exclusive dating looks like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/strong>If you\u2019re both enjoying the exclusive dating phase and want to make it fully official, congratulations: You\u2019ve reached the relationship phase. It\u2019s important to have a conversation that makes it official; you want to be on the same page with your partner about what being in a relationship means to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n