Relationship boundaries: The side of you, your partner never sees!

By: Natasha Archary

From bathroom boundaries to avoiding certain types of food in front of your partner, these are some of the relationship boundaries between couples.

There are couples whose relationships have survived everything under the sun. Be it peeing with the bathroom door open or seeing your person without makeup or their wig/weave on.

Then there are those couples who have never and will never go there. Kaya Drive with Sizwe Dhlomo, however, goes there and Siz and the team wanted to know about the side of you, your partner never sees.

Listen to the team share their relationship boundaries:

Wed 16:11:25 to 16:20:25 Kaya 959 95.9

Married couples or those living together don’t particularly have too many boundaries, as one of the respondents from the Kaya team shared. There are however extreme cases where one never allows their significant other to see them as anything other than flawless.

As was depicted in the movie Nappily Ever After.

Also read: Ask these 7 questions before you change your relationship status on Facebook

All healthy relationships have boundaries says Dr Jacqui Gabb, professor of sociology and intimacy at The Open University and chief relationships officer with the couples app Paired.

“When it comes to your life as a couple, consider that there are actually three entities involved: yourself, your partner, and the relationship itself — and boundaries need to be defined for each,” said Dr Gabb.

5 common boundaries couples set

How you will communicate

Whether it is not to engage when one or both parties are angry. Not to go to bed with your backs turned to one another. Communication boundaries will set the tone for how you and your partner deal with conflict.

Personal space

Much like the Kaya Drive team, bathroom boundaries are some of the no-go zones in their relationships. Giving your partner personal space to relieve themselves, take a moment to themselves to read or scroll social media were also high priorities.

Social media

What you can and can’t post about your partner on social media is a definite boundary. With so many viral videos and funny moments from couples, like the one above doing the rounds online, some feel a social media “dos and don’ts” list is important.

Emotional

As Kaya Drive listener Karabo shared with Siz and the team, getting emotional in front of his partner is not something he can bring himself to do. That and letting his partner know that his feelings were hurt by their actions.

Relationship boundaries: The side of you, your partner never sees! Natasha

What you will and won’t share

Sharing food. Straws. A drink. Some couples have a hard set rule about not sharing their food with their partner. No matter what. Not even just a taste.