How do we know when it\u2019s the right time? It\u2019s a question every couple who sticks together long enough will eventually find themselves asking. Getting engaged is a big step in a relationship \u2013 the biggest aside from having kids \u2013 so it\u2019s important to think long and hard before doing it. Have you really spent enough time together and experienced enough of life together to know with certainty that you want to spend forever together?<\/p>\n
These are the questions you have to ask yourselves before you ask \u2013 or say yes to \u2013 the big one. And it\u2019s more than just figuring out if you\u2019ve been together for some imaginary requisite number of years, too. Making sure you\u2019ve gone through the types of experiences that really help a couple to understand who the other person is and how they mesh together is more important than just raw time spent together. This goes beyond identifying shared hobbies and enters the realm of figuring out how you each respond during fun, important and even trivial but commonplace experiences and whether or not the other person is OK with that response.<\/p>\n
Here are five experiences every couple should have before getting engaged.<\/p>\n
Build Furniture Together<\/strong><\/p>\n Relax \u2013 we\u2019re not talking about chopping down the wood, designing a chaise lounge and building it from scratch. You probably don\u2019t have to get that intense with this one. Instead, just head to IKEA to pick out a new piece of furniture you need, take it home, dump out all those crazy little pieces and tools and assemble the thing as a couple. If you end up at each other\u2019s throats while doing this, then you\u2019re definitely not ready to get engaged yet. But if the dresser gets built just fine with only minor or no squabbling, you\u2019re in good shape!<\/p>\n Meet the Family<\/strong><\/p>\n Pretend like you\u2019re Ben Stiller and \u201cmeet the parents.\u201d In fact, you should meet as much of the family as you can, and not just in passing either. Spend a few holidays with each other\u2019s families. Take a day trip or three with them or even go on a vacation with one or both of the families. You\u2019re both going to have to be spending a lot of time with these people for the rest of your lives if you get married. You don\u2019t have to love your in-laws as much as you love your spouse, but it would certainly help if you didn\u2019t hate them. Making it through family traditions and\/or vacations are the quickest ways to get to know the new family and make sure you both understand and can at least respect one another.<\/p>\n Just Drive<\/strong><\/p>\n Get in the car and drive somewhere together. Going to the grocery store or carpooling to work doesn\u2019t count. You need to get a little adventurous and head somewhere you\u2019ve never been before in the car together. The longer the trip, the better. Can you handle navigating the directions and having no one to talk to but each other on a long car trip? The longer the trip lasts, the more of a chance you\u2019ll have to get into long, serious conversation about all sorts of things that you may not normally have time for with your busy working lives. If you\u2019re still able to laugh together when you reach your destination, you\u2019re in good shape.<\/p>\n Travel Somewhere<\/strong><\/p>\n