How to Successfully Navigate New Relationships Over The Holidays
By Justin Lavelle, BeenVerified

What could be more promising than a brand new relationship and the holidays ahead? Everything is cool as the freshly fallen snow and as happy as a newly decorated Christmas tree, but all may not remain as rosy as Frosty’s cheeks if you and your special someone don’t maneuver through the holidays with some caution. How will you deal with family gatherings? What kind of gift do you give a new boyfriend or girlfriend?

Fortunately, we have some tips to help you keep the holidays jolly and come out on the other side of the season with your relationship still intact.

New Relationships & Gift Giving—In a new, exciting relationship it's tempting to go a little crazy with the holiday gifts, but keep in mind that this could be overwhelming in the early stages of a relationship. Something simple, yet thoughtful is the way to go. Think cool gloves or a scarf, subscription to Netflix, tickets to something for date night like a concert or play (but nothing planned too far out on the calendar) or a fun old school board game like Scrabble. And something baked is always a good idea. Avoid gifts that are too personal, too expensive, too sappy or too intimate.

If the Relationship is Newish, Go Slow Celebrating the Holiday With Your Families—It may be too soon to subject your new significant other to all your relatives (whether they’re wonderful or weird!). This can be stressful and overpowering for even the easiest going of people. Plan something together for right before or right after the holidays.

Celebrating the Holidays Together—You've chosen not to spend the actual holiday together with your families but do want to celebrate together to in your way. Keep it simple and fun. Grab dinner together at a nice restaurant, visit a Christkindlmarket and browse the eclectic gifts while sipping mulled wine, go ice skating together at the local outdoor skate plaza or sledding. Enjoy your own personal holiday celebration and make your first holiday together a memorable one.

Holiday Parties & Get Togethers—A fun, lighthearted holiday gathering of your friends or coworkers might be the perfect time to introduce your new boyfriend. Make sure you decide in advance what you're going to call each other, "friend" or "boyfriend or girlfriend", depending on where you are in your relationship. Nothing is more uncomfortable then introducing someone as your boyfriend if the other person isn't there yet. Keep it light and try not to overwhelm with too many introductions.

Avoid Rushing Holiday Season Relationships—The holidays are a time of parties, celebrations and events making it all very romantic and festive. This makes it super easy to get wrapped up with each other way too fast, instead of going through the usual “getting to know each other” phase. The holidays are a time to spend with good friends and family. Don't put those closest to you on the back burner while you invest all your time in a new relationship.

Stress & Holiday Dating—Keep in mind that as wonderful as the holidays are, a new relationship may also feel the stress that sometimes comes with the holidays. Your new boyfriend or girlfriend may have recently been separated, divorced or widowed and carrying some excess baggage from that time. We often hold on to memories associated with a former loved one that surface during the holidays. Depending on how you feel about your new significant other, the gift giving process could be wonderful or awful. This also weighs on people’s minds and can cause unnecessary stress. Along with all the festivities come a lot of extra obligations such as late nights, money stress and being pulled in too many directions. Tread lightly during December when it comes to a new relationship. You don’t want the overarching holiday and its juggling act to ruin a good thing.

Bio

Justin Lavelle is the social media and blog content director for BeenVerified.com, the leading source of online background checks and contact information. It helps people discover, understand and use public data in their everyday lives and can provide peace of mind by offering a fast, easy and affordable way to do background checks on potential dates. BeenVerified allows individuals to find more information about people, phone numbers, email addresses and property records. Visit them on Facebook, Twitter and on their blog.

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