Relationship tips for him … Men, take notes

IT’S not always easy to tell a man what he is doing wrong, especially when you don’t want to hurt his feelings. This makes it difficult for many women to communicate to their partners areas that they think they can brush up on, so they reserve their harshest criticisms.

However, these criticisms can be valuable nuggets of information for men to consider if they want to make their relationships happier and longer-lasting. We asked a few women to share, from their dating experience, some relationship advice that men need to hear.

Men, take notes.

Kai, 23, marketer:

Mine very simple: Everything matters. Be honest. And do not let your family and friends know about the relationship before it even starts — period. This is because one month in, and everybody knows, then next thing you realise you’re both not really compatible — there goes trouble in the middle of a paradise.

Rolanda, 26, model:

My advice that I always get from my grandma, and it goes for both men and women, understand that your partner is neither your sibling nor family member, so they were raised totally different from you. Learn to understand who the person is, as an individual, learn to compromise where needs be, and never be too hard to forgive.

Sherona, 25, social media manager:

Keep your relationship private, but not a secret. Nothing is wrong with people knowing who you are with and that you’re taken, but that is about all you need to share. No one, especially another woman, should know when you and your partner are having rough patches because that creates opportunity for them to think they are welcome to comfort you. If there is someone else that you run to every time you have a problem, that is the person you should be in a relationship with.

Liv, 29, virtual assistant:

Talk to your woman. Ask her about her life. Talk about everything with her.

Shauna, 31, cashier:

Take care of your children, regardless of your relationship with the mother. Men who know how to take care of their children will definitely know how to treat a woman.

Sam, 26, law student:

Work on your confidence when approaching a woman. Be mindful now, I didn’t say you should be cocky and obnoxious. Make your intentions clear: If you only want the ‘guzzum’, be straight up so we can decide if we want to give it up; nuh promise longevity if you don’t even know how fi pronounce it.

Kerry, 34, account executive:

Keep close friends and family out of it until the relationship is viable. Think of it as a pregnancy, the first to third months are sensitive, you don’t want to tell the whole world that you’re pregnant too early and as then, unfortunately, you have a miscarriage (because many pregnancies end like that). So mek we see the belly past seven months first, then your mother can know she has a grandchild on the way.

Shara, 29, sales representative:

Be open-minded, let your woman feel comfortable telling you any and everything, and you do the same, too. Don’t run to find another woman to give you the things you want, when you haven’t even tried your woman to see if she would give it to you.

Nardia, 22, student:

Stay loyal to one woman. And if you find someone else who you are more interested in, break it off with the first woman before you move on. It’s childish to string a woman along who you have no intention of loving.

— Candiece Knight