Making Friends With Other Couples
Friendships with Other Couples Benefit Your Relationship.
Friendships are important. Having couple friends is a great benefit to your relationship with your partner. Studies have shown that friendships with other couples may lead to better overall well-being and improve the quality of life enjoyed by both couples. For example, in a 2020 study of marital quality, there was substantial evidence that friendship benefits both husbands and wives. You probably don’t need convincing that friendships are meaningful because you are reading this blog. So, how do you and your partner develop friendships with other couples?
Here are some ways to help you find and keep Making Friends With Other Couples:
- Discuss the idea with your partner. Certainly, you will want to talk with your partner before you begin socializing and making an effort to make new friends. Consult with them regarding their expectations and yours. Discuss these questions:
- What kind of friends do you both want?
- What would you like to do with your new friends?
- What kind of values and principles are you looking for in friends?
- What will you do to meet and develop new friendships?
- Will both of you share in the effort equally, or will one of you initiate the action and make the arrangements? If one of you sets up the engagement, the other must agree to participate and support the effort. Both of you must commit to the process.
- Become involved in your community. Find a charity or non-profit to volunteer with. Working together for a good cause that you believe in will provide opportunities to meet like-minded couples. This kind of involvement has a double benefit – satisfaction in doing something for others and the possibility of new and lasting friendships.
- Locate popular hangouts. Where do people that you might strike up a conversation with hang out? It could be a coffee shop (think “Friends”), a well-known watering hole, a sports park, etc. Just putting yourself in an environment with others will certainly help your efforts. Staying home and wishing you had friends doesn’t usually work!
- Invite others to a game night, dinner, or sporting event. You could host a meal or game night in your home or meet up with others at an appointed location. For instance, you could reserve a lane for bowling at a local bowling alley, one offering billiards and darts as well. Whether you choose to host or meet up somewhere, invite another couple and encourage them to invite a couple they know. Chances are, if you like them, you might like their friends, too.
- Take Lessons. For example, you could take art, cooking, or dancing lessons. Often people who share the experience of learning these skills will continue to enjoy doing them together. For instance, if you meet in a cooking class, you can enjoy cooking for each other in your homes. Likewise, people who enjoy dancing often form friendships and a community of others who do as well.
- Form your own group. You might form a book club, a whiskey or wine-tasting group, etc. What you are interested in and enjoy, most likely, others will, too. Again, you could meet in your home or find a venue conducive to your activity.
- Vacation at a popular resort. You generally take a vacation to indulge in what you enjoy doing as a couple. You may meet potential friends on the slopes or at the lodge if it is snow skiing. It could be cruising, sailing, or hunting, to name a few. You might only see these friends once or twice a year in person, but lasting bonds can be formed, and you will look forward to seeing these couples for your annual vacation.
- Join a Group that Meets Spiritual Needs. Find others who are seeking to grow spiritually. Couples who grow together spiritually have deeper marital satisfaction, among other benefits. Many churches have home groups that are formed to build community and friendships. The participants do life together and support each other through the tough times as well as the good times.
Cautions:
You must set some healthy boundaries as you make new couple friends. These will ensure that your interaction remains healthy and protects the integrity of your relationships.
- Always meet as a couple. Never meet alone with the partner from the other couple with whom a romantic relationship would be possible. Instead, only meet if there are at least three of you present. Of course, there may be times that you plan a guy’s night or a girl’s night. This is true if there are more couples in the friends’ group.
- Be careful of texts and emails. Always include both partners of the other couple in all texts and emails. Communication with just one of them could be divisive and harmful to both relationships.
Making new friends can sometimes be intimidating, and you may experience a few “misfires” in your attempts to build these new relationships. Don’t give up! It will be worth it when you form those friendships that feel like close family and with whom you can experience the ups and downs of life.
If you want to discuss how we can help you and your relationship, please get in touch with me at Cliff@LoveRecon.org or call 866-218-1716. You may also visit our website, www.LoveRecon.org, for testimonials and information.
