You like this guy, and he likes you. So why hasn’t he asked you out than? Maybe he’s shy, or maybe he isn’t ready. Or maybe he simply doesn’t know that you actually want him to ask you out. But with these 10 awesome tips, he’ll be asking you out in no time- and that’s the goal, right? Try these great ideas out NOW!

1. Seem Interested in the Person He Is

There is a huge difference between getting to know someone in a friendly way, and getting to know someone intimately. Someone who is genuinely interested in another human being will want to simply know more- not just the basics. Find out about things he likes- from food to sports. Ask him about his friends, family members, hobbies, and anything else you can think of. The point is to make him feel special and let him know that you actually care to hear what he has to say.

2. Smile at Him Often

You’ve heard this one before: a smile goes a long way. And whether it’s a job interview or just trying to show someone you’re interested in them, a smile always does the trick. You want to first make eye contact with him, then proceed with a smile. This makes him know that he brought a smile to your face, you weren’t just smiling at something else when your eyes met. And when you’re having a conversation with this boy, smile often so he knows you’re enjoying the convo with him.

3. Flirt With Him- In Every Way, Shape, and Form

There’s tons of ways to flirt. Whether you’re teasing him about tripping in gym class or touching his arm and giggling after some jokes he tells, the point is to do it as often as you can. Because, well, let’s face it: there’s really no better way to show someone you’re interested in them than with a few simple flirts.

4. Compliment Him Often

This could definitely fall into the ‘flirt with him often’ category, but we decided to give this tip its own column because we believe it is very much important. Compliments don’t have to be outrageous. Simply telling him you like how his hair looks today or letting him know he looks great in his new blue shirt is an easy way to boost his confidence while showing your interest. If you’re comfortable and know the guy better, feel free to make your compliments even deeper. Tell him his big muscles are protruding through his shirt and you can’t take your eyes off of them. Tell him he’s the sweetest, most gentle man you’ve ever met and you absolutely love it. You can’t go wrong with compliments, just remember not to overdo it.

5. Try to Find Something You’re Both Interested In

You’re having a conversation about music. Suddenly he says how his absolute favorite band of all time is One Direction, and that just happens to be your favorite to. The next thing you know, the two of you are discussing upcoming concerts you’ve heard about, and he suddenly asks you to accompany him to one of the concerts. Mission: accomplished. It’s real simple. Find a common interest and he’ll probably invite you along.

6. Subtle Hints

Have you thought about maybe dropping a little hint here and there? Remember, it’s important not to be too obvious about it. Don’t just blurt out, “Oh my gosh I want to date you I wish you would ask me out” all in a single breath. You want to make subtle hints. Try telling him you enjoy spending time with him, or you wish you could see more of him. Simple sentences like these are obvious signs you enjoy his accompany and wouldn’t mind- in fact you’d love- if he asked you out on a date.

7. Let Him Know When You’re Free

If he doesn’t know when you are free, he probably doesn’t feel comfortable asking you out out of fear of rejection. But be coy about it. Don’t tell him you are free 24/7, as this can appear desperate. But also don’t be so busy that he thinks you are to busy for him. Maybe suggest that you’ve had a really long week and you can’t wait to have a relaxing weekend, but you’re still looking for something fun to do. Or tell him how lucky you are to have every Tuesday and Thursday off from work. These totally coy yet easy statements lets him know when to ask you out!

8. Tell Him Places You’re Going 

Don’t take this the wrong way: you don’t need to text him every time you leave the house. But if you’re planning on going to an event where you wouldn’t mind his accompaniment, for instance a party where the two of your have mutual friends, let him know you’re going and see if he’d like to tag along.

9. Lead Him Towards an Open Opportunity

This kind of goes hand in hand with letting him know when you’re free, but still a good enough tip to deserve its own spot. If the two of you are having a conversation, you could let him know that you are available this Friday night and you’re looking for something fun to do, and ask him if he has any ideas. Or you could tell him that you really want to go to this upcoming movie, but you don’t have anyone to go with you. These little things will give him an easy opportunity to slip in and ask you on a date.

10. Let Him Know Your Intentions

If all else fails, you have two options. You can either decide to give up on this guy who is obviously not picking up on your hints, or you can take a huge risk and be blatantly obvious with him. Which of course could either go on of two ways.

-He might have been completely clueless to your hints, and you bringing it up in the conversation is exactly what he wanted to hear. He thinks you are a brave woman and says something along the lines of, “Wow, I’ve been wanting to ask you out forever, but I didn’t think you liked me.” In which case the two of you run off into the sunset.

-On the other hand, if you are totally obvious with him and tell him you want to be with him or for him to ask you out, he might think you are desperate or you might find out he wasn’t interested in you in the first place. Which, of course, is totally embarrassing. But for most, knowing this is better than being left in the dark about everything. Are you willing to take that kind of risk?

Sometimes men are blind to our hints, but if you want to get that boy to ask you out, you’re going to have to try some of these great tips. Whether you decide to compliment him a bit more, lead him into more opportunities to ask you out, or bluntly tell him how you feel, at the end of the day you’ll know you’re one step closer to being on a date with that special boy.

What are your favorite ways to get a boy to ask you out?

So your first date went over well and you’re wondering if this could potentially be the relationship of your dreams. But at the same time, you’re also worried about screwing things up on the second date. However, by simply following these simple 10 second date tips you can ensure your second date sparks just as many fireworks as the first.

1. Choose a Different, Fun Location

For your first date you probably stuck with the typical date scenario: dinner at one of the local restaurants in town or simply grabbing a drink at one of the fancier diners downtown. For your second date, opt for a more fun and engaging experience that gives the two of you a chance to get to know each other better. Choose something fun that doesn’t go overboard, for example a wine tasting course or horseback riding along the beach. Both offer a fun experience in a relaxed environment.

2. Don’t Dwell on First Date Mishaps

If something went wrong on your first date- like your soda going through your nose all over the table after an overly hilarious joke- don’t dwell on it. Simply apologize for the mishap and move on. He probably won’t be bothered by it, he may even think whatever happened was cute. One thing to remember is that he asked you for a second date, so whatever the mishap was on the first date was not enough to sway him into never seeing you again.

3. Don’t Be Overly Eager

Even if your date ended with a smoking hot kiss under the stars, that doesn’t mean the fire should still be lit the moment you see your date. This means absolutely no going in for a ‘hello kiss’ or trying to pounce on your potential mate the second you see them. Being eager is not only annoying, but extremely unattractive to most males. Put on your charm, keep your dignity, and most importantly, continue giving him that shy, innocent appearance he craves. You never know how the night will end if you just keep your cool (even if your heart is racing and your lips are dying for another taste!).

4. On the Other Hand, Don’t Be Disinterested

It’s true, you don’t want to be obsessive or eager- but you don’t want to come off as completely disinterested either, like you’re ‘too cool’ for the second date. Simply saying something like ‘It’s great to see you!’ with open arms and a great big smile is enough to show him that you’re happy to see him, but not desperate to be his lady right there and then.

5. Show Him You Care With Excellent Memory

You’re probably thinking, ‘What the heck does that mean?’ Allow me to break it down for you. Let’s say your potential boyfriend told you a couple things about himself during the first date, such as he’s afraid of heights or has 4 sisters. Bring this up in conversation during the second date to show him that you were paying attention and that you cared enough to remember the things he’s told you. That’s an instant way to win extra brownie points with your guy.

6. Be Secure in Yourself

During the first date you may have felt a little nervous and uncomfortable. You might not have given your opinion about certain matters or ended up agreeing with your date just to keep things running smoothly. But by the second date, you should feel more secure in yourself and be able to express your thoughts and feelings without remorse. If he is, in fact, offended or angered by your opinions and thoughts, he’s probably not the right man for you anyways. Better to find out sooner than later!

7. Switch Up Your Look

If you wore something a bit typical for the first date, like a pair of skinny jeans with a tank top and heels, then you might want to switch it up for the second date. Show him your style and how you can go from typical to dazzling within a moments notice. This will spark his interest and of course keep his eyes on you all night.

8. Don’t Forget to Flirt!

Some people will quit flirting after they get their first kiss with a potential mate. If you did, in fact, get a kiss goodnight on the first date, this doesn’t give you a license to stop flirting. Make your potential man feel hot and special with plenty of flirting. This gives him a generous confidence boost while also letting him know you’re still very interested in pursuing him.

9. Ask Him Plenty of Questions

The point of the first few dates is to really get to know a person (although you’ll continue learning about them for the rest of your life), so make sure you are asking him plenty of questions- but nothing to personal. This can be a huge turn off, while simple questions will let him know you are interested in finding out more about him as a person.

10. A Smile Goes A Long Way

Have you ever been on a date when the other person didn’t smile? Yeah, talk about a disaster date. During your second date, make sure you’re smiling as much as possible. Odds are he is head over heels about your beautiful smile and loves to see it. Plus a smile shows that you are enjoying yourself and the company you are with- a win, win situation!

Image credit: Kiron Ahmed, Fatima Aguirre, Annasphotographs, BooHoo

When you first enter into a relationship it can be pretty overwhelming. There’s so much you don’t know about your partner, and knowing which questions to ask can be hard. But with these 20 good questions to ask your boyfriend you’ll find out imperative information that will guide you into your futures.

1. What is your full name?

If you don’t already know, this is an important question to ask. Not only will you be able to know more about him, but you’ll also be able to identify his ethnic background and even imagine yourself with his last name!

 2. Do you have a nickname?

This question is both engaging AND fun. You might find out he has an incredibly adorable nickname you can start using!

 3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

See what kind of man he is: the man who wants to relax by the beautiful ocean waters of Mexico or the adventurous type who wants to escape to the mountains of Germany during the winter.

4. Where do you see yourself in the future?

With this question, you can really find out what type of man he is. He could be destined for greatness, wishing he was made of millions, or you might find out he’s a simpleton who just wants a large family and a house on the hill.

5. Do you want kids?

Note: Don’t ask this until later into the relationship. Nonetheless, it’s very important. If he is definitely against having children and you want 10 little ones, the two of you probably aren’t going to last too long.

6. What’s your idea of a good relationship?

See what he views as important and make sure the two of you are on the right track.

7. Do you like to cook?

Is your man the type of guy who will bring you a delicious breakfast in bed, or does he cringe at the thought of picking up a pan? Find out with this question. If he says yes, why not have dinner at his place this weekend.

8. What would you do on our 1 year anniversary?

See just how romantic your boyfriend is with this simple question.

9. What would you do if you won the lottery?

This is a great question as you’ll be able to see a different side of your man. Would he give some to charity? Buy his mom a new house? Or would he simply spend the mass quantities of dollars on himself?

10. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

This question is just plain out fun. What superpower will he choose and how would he use it for good? (Or evil!)

11. What’s your idea of the perfect date?

Going hand-in-hand with the anniversary question, here you’ll be able to see the level of romanticizing your man is capable of doing.

12. Are you the jealous type?

Such an important question, and the answer is even more important. After all, you don’t want to stick around with a man who’s insanely jealous or a man who doesn’t care what you do (or with who).

13. What would you do if someone hit on you while we’re together?

Every woman is curious as to how her man will react in this situation. Any other answer than ‘I would tell her I have a beautiful girlfriend I am loyal to’ is unacceptable.

14. Do you have a certain type of girl you go after?

Find out whether or not he stepped out of his boundaries for your relationship or if he simply has one look he prefers.

15. What is your worst habit?

Finding out sooner than later is always best. I mean, if he’s a heavy drinker and you don’t touch a lick of liquor, the relationship might not run smoothly.

16. What does love mean to you?

Such a deep and provoking question, but it’s definitely one you need to know. Don’t waste your time with a man who doesn’t cherish love or doesn’t even care to experience it.

17. What’s the longest relationship you’ve been in?

Again, with this question you can decide what type of guy he is: a hit it and quit it type of guy, or a man looking for his soulmate.

18. Are you close with your family members?

A man who’s close with his family is typically a man who cherishes loved ones, therefore he will cherish you. However, there are always those cases in which something has happened that breaks families apart.

19. Do you care more about looks or personality?

Find out if your guy is just with you for your tan skin and perfect hair, or if he searches deep within to find out who you really are.

20. Do you follow your heart or your head?

This question is actually very deep and will provoke a lot of feelings. Does your man logically think about a situation, or react when his heart is throbbing?

Image credit: Lea847, Sasyinfinity, Amylicetz, and Veveve.

It is definitely hard to get a grasp on whether your boo is cheating on you or not. It is not the easiest thing to distinguish if he is cheating on you emotionally, physically or if he is not having an affair at all. But, assuming you would rather know what is going on instead of just being oblivious to the entire thing, here are 10 signs that will tell you he is more than likely having what you were afraid of: An emotional affair.

Sign #1.) How Distant Is He?

 A man having an emotional affair will suddenly become more and more distant. He will continuously try to put space between you two because he is focusing on another woman. It is tough enough for a guy to be emotionally involved with one woman, let alone two and he may not realize he is doing it, but he will grow less intimate with you and more intimate with the other lady in his life.

Sign #2.) Is He Different?

 He’ll start acting different, besides the distance, he will start acting off. He may become more easily frustrated with you, treat you differently and try to hide things from you that he would’ve been more open about before the affair started. If he’s cheating, he will be more secretive about phone calls, messages, where he has been or is going. He’ll be reluctant to tell you a majority of things.

Sign #3.) Does He Want To… You Know?

Surprisingly, a good sign that he is having an affair is if he doesn’t want sex as much or at all. He may stop initiating physical relationships with you. He will do this because he is already having relations with another woman.

Sign #4.) Is He More Worried About His Appearance?

 If your man starts taking more of an interest in the way he looks, how he dresses or starts working out with no reason- He may be having a secret relationship behind your back. When a guy enters a relationship, he starts caring about his appearance. If you have been with your partner for a while and you start noticing he’s wearing cologne (which he hasn’t done since you met) or starts fussing over his outfits (which he never did before) he might be cheating on you.

Sign #5.) Does He Get Defensive?

A good sign that you are sharing your boyfriend with another girl is that he suddenly gets more defensive about a lot of things. He may start getting defensive when you ask where he has been, what he’s been doing, who he is talking to, etc.

Sign #6.) Is He More Critical?

If your boyfriend starts picking fights out of the blue, acting more hostile towards you or starts being extremely critical of you, he might be having an affair. To have an affair with another woman, he has to clear his guilty conscience by justifying his acts. To justify what he is doing he will pick out reasons why he doesn’t want to be with you.

Sign #7.) Is He Gone A Lot?

Does he say he’s staying late at work more often? Or is he out with his ‘buddies’ more than usual? You might rarely see your partner at home if he is cheating on you. He may be gone a lot of the time and then get defensive about his whereabouts.

Sign #8.) Does He Avoid Solving Problems?

To a guy who is cheating, there is no point in trying to find solutions to any relationship problems you two are having. He won’t even try to sort things out and better your relationship. Instead, he’ll feed into the arguments or the problems just to make them worse on purpose.

Sign #9.) Are You Two Communicating?

The number one thing that holds a relationship together is communication. If he stops telling you about his day, what makes him happy, what is bothering him or really just stops talking to you about a majority of things you should be talking about, he may be having an emotional affair. He might not bother to ask you about your day or talk to you about your problems at all either. He’ll do this because, just like #8 above, he won’t find the reasoning to keep things going smoothly because he doesn’t see a point to your relationship.

Sign #10.) Is He Hanging Out With A Girl More Often?

Sometimes, guys will go out with girls right in front of their partners eyes to try and make it seem less obvious that they are together. He may suddenly start hanging out with a woman that is ‘just a co-worker’ or the ‘best girl friend’, but he’ll spend an unusual amount of time with her and never invite you out with them.

Media likes to portray to us that only men are the ones getting stuck in the dread ‘friend-zone’, but contrary to prior belief, women are caught there just as often! Either way, wiggling your way out of the in-between spot can be extremely difficult- Especially if you don’t know what you are doing. To help you drop that ‘just friends’ stereotype, here are 10 ways that you, as a girl, can get out of the friend-zone:

1.) Whatever you do, don’t come on too strong! Being clingy, needy or just too much altogether can be a huge turnoff- Especially for guys. So, if you really want to escape that friend-zone and move forward (or, at least move away from it), take a step back and cool it down for a bit. Desperation is not sexy.

2.) When you are in the awful place of being classified as ‘just a friend’ and you want to be more, try asking your crush to go out. If you guys do go out, but it is only with other friends or to do something like go shopping, then no wonder your in the zone! You have to see if he will go out with you on a date-like event. To the movies with just each others or out to a cute restaurant that doesn’t scream casual or only a friend-type place. Ask him and see if he goes for a more-than-friend-type date!

3.) Break out of the habit of just having only completely down to Earth conversations. Spice-up the way you talk and make the convos between you and your man of interest a bit more adventurous. Be flirtatious, bring playfulness and cute, fun banter into the equation. Doing this will express that you don’t want to be just friends with him.

4.) Sometimes, you just need to connect on a physical level to catch someone’s attention. And, that does not mean you need to get too physical. Ahem. No, it means you need to stop only shaking hands or giving an occasional hug- You need to get your hands on him. Touch his arm in a soft, intimate manner- You can do the same with his legs or thighs. Touch the back of his neck, play with his hair or put your hand on his knee. Just do the things that friends don’t. Try to keep it modest, though!

5.) Don’t act like his guy friends. Don’t always be around for football games, don’t participate in those belching contests that he has with his friends and don’t go to his house only to play video games, drink Mt. Dew and work on his car. That doesn’t mean you can’t do those things with him, but you need to keep the line between guy stuff and girl stuff drawn. Most guys think of girls as more than friends if they aren’t in every aspect of what they do with their guy friends. They like a girl who is off doing her stuff, while he has his time to do stuff with his friends, too.

6.) Make him jealous. Okay, as childish as this sounds, it really does work most of the time. Go out with another guy, make him well aware of it and see what his reaction is. Flirt with a different dude in front of him and watch how it affects him. If he is absolutely nonchalant about it, then maybe you need to realize there is no getting out of the friend-zone. However, if he gets jealous, then make a move!

7.) As shallow as this is: Change your look. This isn’t saying that you should shave your head or change your style completely. But, maybe a guy is looking for a girl who works-out more often, has shorter hair or wears the color blue a couple times a week- Whatever floats his boat! Do something that will catch his attention and draw him into you. You don’t need to change who you are completely, but everybody has their own tastes- To get out out of the friend-zone, maybe you need to fit into his mold a bit more.

8.)  Be confident. Yes, it can be that simple. Just acting with more confidence can make a guy more attracted to you. If you display low self-confidence, a guy might only want to keep you in his friend group because it may turn him off completely.

9.) Tell him that you want to be more than just friends. Be straightforward with what you want, let him know you like him and maybe you’ll get a good reply. It doesn’t always have to be the guy who should make the first move. Take that next step and tell him exactly how you feel. He may appreciate your boldness and he might even like you the same.

10.) Okay, if none of that works, you might just need to accept all of the facts. This means that you should realize that your friendship between you and your crush will never be anything more than a friendship. You can’t make someone fall for you and if your crush isn’t falling by now- He probably never will. You can either accept your friendship for what it is or just move on altogether. The decision is yours.

It’s no secret that men can be compulsive liars. Sometimes, for us women, it can be hard to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Especially if we don’t understand why they do it in the first place! To help you figure out why you tend to catch your guy lying to you more often than not, here are the top 5 reasons why men lie:

Reason #1.) He doesn’t want to hurt your feelings. Though this may not be the right thing for him to do, his intentions are probably good. Guys aren’t completely incapable of understanding girls- they understand that we are very sensitive creatures! Women get hurt pretty easily and all he may be trying to do is protect you because he cares.

Reason #2.) He is too lazy and all he wants to do is avoid drama. Guys are not usually equipped to handle drama and, to be quite honest, are just too lazy to want to deal with it. He might lie to you because he doesn’t want to take the time out of his day to battle it out and find a resolution to whatever the problem at hand is.

Reason #3.) He is cheating on you. This isn’t the most common occurrence of the reasoning behind a fella’s lie-telling- So, don’t be too quick to assume on this! Cheaters are known for their ability to spit out lies more often than they tell the truth. A guy is going to lie about a lot of things if  he is seeing another woman behind your back.

Reason #4.) He only wants one thing. You know… That thing… Yes, sex. Most guys will do just about anything to get some loving from you.  Men will lie until they have a nose longer than Pinocchio’s just to get what they want!

Reason #5.) He doesn’t want to do chores. It’s definitely well-known that men aren’t famous for their love of domestic work. So, they lie to get out of responsibilities like doing the dishes, running to the market for bread or taking the car for a wash. Unfortunately, most boys would rather watch sports or play video-games instead!

Many girls find themselves in controlling relationships, where their boyfriend is very dominate about everything and it causes a lot of problems and takes impact on the girls involved in horrendous ways. Some get out of these relationships and some get stuck with controlling guys for years to come- or even for life. It is very important for every girl out there to know the signs of a controlling boyfriend and to know that being with a guy like this isn’t good for them or anyone else. To help, here are 10 signs to let you know if your boyfriend is controlling:

Sign #1.) He Doesn’t Want You To Go Out.

A controlling boyfriend usually hates to see his girlfriend go out without him. If your boyfriend is the controlling-type he won’t want to let you go out with certain friends, family and he may even throw a fit every time you do. Controlling men will try to keep a girl all to themselves. A lot of the time, women who have been in bad relationships like this, will say that they lost a lot of relationships with other people they were close to because of how their boyfriends were.

Sign #2.) You Are Always Paying or He Never Lets You Handle The Money.

When it comes down to it, a boyfriend who wants to be in control, will want to be in control of the finances. This could either mean he wants to pay for everything, tell you how you can and can’t spend your money or he will only make you pay for the things you both want and need. He will still tell you what to do with your money, become strict about what’s yours, but he won’t set any restrictions on his. It could really go either way.

Sign #3.) He Will Pick Your Friends.

Just like he won’t like you going out, he won’t like you talking to, seeing or being around certain people. A controlling boyfriend may try to skim down your friends, and even family, or try to eliminate them from your life altogether. Yet, when it comes down to the people you would rather not see him around, he won’t change who he talks to or who he hangs out with. He won’t be concerned with how you feel, only his opinion on your personal life will matter to him.

Sign #4.) He’s Really, Really, Really Nosy.

Control-freak warning sign: He will always be snooping in your stuff. Whether it is your social networking site, your voice mail, your texts or your mail- He will always need to know what is going on with your life, money, friends, conversations and pretty much anything else you can think of. For a controlling boyfriend, there are absolutely no boundaries or privacy. While he is all up in your business, he may get very angry when you snoop around in his stuff and tell you that is not okay, even though it is okay for him to do it to you.

Sign #5.) He Blames You For Everything.

Does your boyfriend blame everything on you? Even all of the things that are actually his fault? Does he get mad at you for stupid things that weren’t your fault? You may have a boyfriend who is controlling, if you said yes to those. A man who has that characteristic will blame everything on you and you may never hear an apology. Instead, no matter who holds the fault, he will wait for you to apologize to him, even if it wasn’t a big deal or your fault. He likes to have that control of your emotions and likes to have you feel the regret in the end.

Sign #6.) He Is Involved In All Of Your Decisions.

Of course, in a relationship, it is best to make important decisions together. But, when it comes down to it, if need be or if the decision isn’t all that vital, you should be able to make a decision on your own. If you find yourself feeling like you can’t ever make any decision without him, he may be controlling. He will have installed that thought into you and made it so you are dependent on him.

Sign #7.) He Puts You Down.

Verbal abuse is a very strong sign of a controlled relationship. A boyfriend who is controlling will put you down to control you better, make you think untrue things about yourself and then he will come back to bring you back up again, so he is the one who makes you feel good (though he was the one to make you feel badly in the first place.) He may also verbally abuse you to get you to do things he wants you to do. The lower your self-esteem, the more vulnerable you become- That’s what controlling guys like.

Sign #8.) He Hurts You.

Besides verbal abuse, a controlling man may physically abuse his partner. Installing fear into someone with abuse (physical or verbal) will make him feel in control and again, make you feel vulnerable. If you are in a relationship that deals with either verbal or physical abuse, please realize you are in a controlled relationship and don’t hesitate to get out. You can do better, no matter what you’ve been told or who you are. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 for help.

Sign #9.) You Start Feeling Suffocated.

This is a common sign that you are being controlled by your boyfriend. If you feel like you’ve lost your freedom, you are always catering to him and he is not returning the favors, then he may be controlling.

Sign #10.) He Says No.

If he says no when you didn’t even ask him, he may be a controlling boyfriend. You shouldn’t have to ask your boyfriend whether you can or can’t do something, what you can and can’t buy with your own money, every single person you hang out with or where and where you can’t go. He does not have the right to dictate every part of your life. You may tell him you are going to go get a new pair or jeans and he says you can’t, even though you didn’t ask. Or you may want to visit your family for the day and he says you aren’t allowed to go. That is a controlling boyfriend.

Here’s an age-old problem: It is hard to read men. But, that’s why this article is here for you to read today to help you decide if your man is ready for that next step. Determining the difference between a guy who is ready for a relationship and a guy who is just messing around can be really tough. But, when you break it down- it’s not that difficult at all! You just have to know what to be watching out for. Here are 10 signs that a guy wants a relationship:

Sign #1.) A guy who pays attention to you is a guy who may just be ready for the next step. Men aren’t truly attentive creatures unless with someone or something they really care very deeply for. So, if you’re boy has been displaying quite a bit of his attention towards you, you may have a winner! But, how can you tell? Well: He will look at you and make eye contact you when he is talking or when you’re talking. He will ask you questions and always reply when you two are conversing. He will always try to relate and be involved fully into your discussion. He will also ask you for his input when it comes to him talking to you.

Sign #2.) A guy who wants to get to know you on a personal level may be ready to have a real relationship with you. Men don’t usually waste their time getting to know people they don’t have future intentions with. If he is trying to get to know you he won’t just ask, “How’s your day been going?” or “What do you do for a living?” He will go deeper and ask you what you like or dislike about your job, what your hobbies are, favorite foods, music and he might ask about your family or past relationships. If this guy is intrigued, he’ll most likely try to get to know everything about you.

Sign #3.) If he is ready to be your boyfriend he won’t keep hanging around other girls. Let’s forget about his sister, his mom and maybe that best friend he’s had since preschool… No, I’m talking about all the other girls that he flirted with before or that try to flirt with him now. He will put an end to that or just ignore them. He will, all in all, stop paying attention to all girls that aren’t you!

Signs #4.) Does your favorite guy keep you in the loop about his future plans? Good! He may  just be ready for commitment then! Guys only keep girls they considered a big part of their lives in their personal loops. If he does let you know about what his work schedule looks like, if he is taking any vacation or if he is going out of town or to an event, then he probably considers you more than just a friend.

Signs #5.) He should be a shoulder to cry on at all times, if he’s relationship ready.  If a guy is always there for you and is a constant shoulder to lean on- you have found your future boyfriend. No matter what, he will always try to be there for you. He will give you his best advice when you ask for it, he will bring the tissues when you are sad and he’ll always try to cheer you up when you are feeling down. Keep in mind, though, that if he is ready for you to be his girlfriend, he will expect you to have the same shoulder to lean on for him!

Sign #6.) A man ready for a relationship with you will make sure you are involved with his family and close friends. He will do everything he can to get you guys to meet and know each other and he will also do his best to get you to like each other. You all liking each other is very important to him and if he is trying to make that happen then he is definitely ready for that next step. A guy only brings a girlfriend-type of girl home to his family.

Sign #7.) A relationship-ready fella will display his trust towards you. He will treasure your thoughts and opinions about his decisions and what you have to say altogether. He will respect your advice.

Signs #8.) Patience is something huge to look out for when trying to figure out if a guy is ready for a relationship or not. If your guy doesn’t spend his time rushing you into anything, whether it be skydiving, running away to mexico, trying sushi or …. well, you know! A man who is patient with you, waits for you to be ready and respects the pace you want to take with things,  is a man ready to make you his girlfriend.

Signs #9.) You can tell a guy is ready for a relationship if he is trying to spend a lot of quality time with you. That means he is spending more than 1o minutes at a time with you. It means that he doesn’t just come around to sleep with you and that you see him in broad daylight. A guy ready to date won’t mind running errands with you or going out in public with you- he will actually enjoy spending any time with you!

Sign #10.) Any guy who looks at a girl as girlfriend-material, will keep in good contact with her. He will consistently message, call or text you everyday. He will reply to your texts or messages right away (unless he really is busy), but he won’t keep you waiting for long. He will make you a priority and make sure you stay in touch.

You think you can change him because you’re cute, because you’re nice, or because you are good in bed right? You can’t. He might change but only when he’s ready, not when you are. Personally, I’d say to just avoid this type of guy altogether, but stay and play the waiting game if you want. Here are some signs that he might be emotionally unavailable;

1. “I’m Not Ready For Commitment”

Guy say this all the time and instead of taking it at face value, the woman involved assumed that he doesn’t want commitment RIGHT NOW, but that he will soon. “I know if I just stick around long enough, he’ll come around!” No he won’t. He is emotionally unavailable and he probably won’t ever be…at least not for you. Cut your losses. Stop wasting your time with this one when you can give your energy to someone worthy.

2. You Haven’t Met Friends/Family

While this is okay in the beginning, if it’s been a reasonable amount of time and you still haven’t met anyone close to him, he is emotionally unavailable. Men in love and attached are excited to introduce you to their friends and family. They want your approval and also the approval of their loved ones. Unless there is a solid reason why you haven’t met anyone such as you both live across the country from them, move along. This is a major red flag.

3. Everything is in Your Name

You’ve moved in together and share everything but for whatever reason, everything is in your name alone. Now, if he has bad credit, it’s understandable to put things into your name AND his…not just yours. When he has nothing in his name, it gives him an easy out when he needs one. A man without emotional hang-ups has no problem putting things into his name as well.

4. He Never Buys Anything With You

Along with the previous sign, an emotionally unavailable man will never make any joint purchases. He will insist that everything be in one name or the other. Things will be divided into your things or his. Things such as televisions and other semi-big purchases will never be “ours” but instead one or the other. This too allows for an easy out when he needs one.

5. He Doesn’t Know You

If he never asks questions about you or attempts to get to know you on more than a superficial level, he is probably not emotionally available. A man like this will try to keep you distant to prevent both of you from falling in love. If you don’t go beyond likes and dislikes, it’s hard to REALLY be in love. If it seems like you aren’t going past the first date talk, he is probably doing that on purpose.

6. He Doesn’t Make Future Plans

Sure, years from now is hard to plan but a month or two in advanced isn’t too much to ask unless you’re a brand new relationship. An emotionally unavailable man will have problems making plans a week in advanced even. At first that spontaneous, spur of the moment dating will be exciting, but eventually life will kick in and you will want a relationship in which you can plan a date a month in advanced. Find that guy and lose the unavailable one.

7. He Doesn’t “Do” Labels

We’ve all met this guy. “I don’t like to put labels on us. Let’s just enjoy each other and the moment.” In reality, this guy doesn’t want to put labels on the two of you because he doesn’t want the responsibility of the relationship. You know, where he has to be respectful and thoughtful. He’s emotionally unavailable to you. Find a more mature man that will happily call you his girlfriend and eventually wife.

8. He Avoids Emotion

A man in love will have no problem discussing any emotion whether it be sad, mad, or disappointed. An emotionally unavailable man won’t discuss any kind of emotion. Thus; emotionally unavailable. Some men are better at talking about their feelings than others, but all men can talk a little. The man you want to avoid is the one who leaves without discussing anything.

9. He’s Unreliable

He breaks promises, he doesn’t call when he says, he forgets to do things, he forgets dates, etc. He is unreliable. This is a major sign of being emotionally unavailable. They might not seem related, but they are. An emotionally invested man doesn’t want to disappoint the love of his life. He doesn’t want to risk losing her trust. An emotionally unavailable man couldn’t care less. Find a man who is emotionally invested instead.

10. He Never Spends the Night

He might stay until 4 am, but he leaves before morning every single time. Never once has he spent the night has he? That’s because he can’t risk getting attached. If he treats you like a booty call, you’ll feel more like a booty call and less like a relationship. Any man who cares will spend the night. He will WANT to spend the night. Find that man. Lose the emotionally unavailable one.

It’s very hard to tell if your man is falling in love with you or not because the puppy dog love in the beginning very much imitates true love. The further into the relationship, the clearer it becomes that the nice stuff he does is not just infatuation but true love. Here are some sure-fire signs that he is falling in love with you;

1. You’ve Met Everyone

If you have met his grandma, parents, best friend, and all of his third and fourth cousins, he is probably falling in love with you. A man in love will find events to introduce you to everyone he knows. He will gladly go to his dreaded high school reunion just so everyone can know that you are his.

2. He Says “We”

When a man stops saying “I” and starts saying “We”, this is a good indication that he is in love. If he talks about the future in this tone, he wants to be with you long-term. “We should go on vacation there someday.” A man who isn’t in love will say, “I want to go there someday.” When he says “we”, he is really saying that the two of you are becoming one.

3. He Says, “I Love You”

Some men do jump the gun on this one and say it right away, but most men will hold it in until they mean it…and sometimes longer. A man will only say that when he means it because #1, he wants to be sure you feel it too and #2, he doesn’t want to risk having some girl cling to him that he doesn’t feel the same about. Be forewarned though ladies, “Love ya” is not the same. As silly as the small difference sounds, it makes a big difference. Love ya is for friends. I love you is for real.

4. He Remembers

If he remembers the little things that you’ve mentioned, he might be falling in love. If you mentioned once that you like lilies and he surprised you with them, it’s a good sign for you. If he makes dinner and remembers to leave out the onions that you mentioned make your stomach hurt, he might be falling. Extra points for him if you said these details a long time ago and he remembered all this time. A man in love will pay attention to even the smallest details because he knows that they matter.

5. He Does Things Just Because

He cleaned the entire house or made you breakfast in bed or bought you a present just because? Yes. He’s falling for you. Doing little things just because means that you are on his mind and he is trying to make you happy. If he wasn’t in love, he wouldn’t care and he wouldn’t think about it. He’s in love.

6. He proposes

Duh. Unless he’s trying to get citizenship, this is a no-brainer. If he wasn’t in love, he wouldn’t want to marry you. If he wants to marry you, he’s in love. Again, unless he’s trying to become a citizen. Then, this might not be the best sign. But he might still be in love.

7. You’re Automatically Invited

When he makes it clear that you are automatically invited to wherever he is invited, he is falling in love. If he’s going to a wedding, Christmas Party, or whatever and implies that you will be his date to everything, you’re good. He’s in love.

8. He Holds Your Hand Everywhere

If he isn’t afraid to hold your hand everywhere you go, he is falling in love. This gesture speaks to everyone that the two of you are together. An arm around the shoulder can be for friends, but holding hands is pretty universal. If he does this around friends, family, and strangers than he isn’t holding anything back. He wants the world to know. He isn’t hiding that he is taken.

9. You’re Always the Main Event

Whether you are at a fundraiser or a New Year’s Eve Party, he only has eyes for you. His eyes are not wandering around the room, they are locked on you. This is a very good sign of his feelings. Sure all people look around from time to time no matter how much in love, but if you are the main event in his eyes, he is in love.

10. He Has Your Stuff at His House

This little sign speaks volumes for two reasons. First of all, it shows that he doesn’t have other women at his house. If he did have other women around, he wouldn’t want your stuff there. Second of all, it shows that he is moving towards being completely committed. He is saying that he knows you two are moving towards a serious future together.