If you’ve spent any time on the Internet, you know that netizens have their own language. In fact, so much of the language online is written in abbreviations that it almost requires a code to get through. Some common ones: DH means dear husband, and DD means dear daughter. So what does DF mean?
On parenting boards at least, DF is shorthand for dear fiancé. Cute, right? It’s a sweet way to refer to your significant other online when you’re sharing stories from your lives together. And you only get to use this abbreviation for a short time until your DF becomes a DH or DW. It’s special in that way.
If you and your longtime partner are wondering whether or not to take the plunge, there are plenty of signs that you’re totally compatible. From serious thoughts about your communication skills to more mundane concerns about your little habits, there are some arenas where you really need to agree. The big topics — money and kids, for instance — are of course majorly important, but it’s also a good idea if you can sync up with other lifestyle arenas too. After all, if you’re both fitness nuts this will just give you one more way to bond.
1You Have Great Communication Skills
Can you and your SO tell each other anything? Great! According to the organization Love Is Respect, open and honest communication is a crucial part of every healthy relationship. Being able to talk it out is a fantastic sign.
2You Have A Similar Sense Of Humor
Sharing a similar sense of humor is also important for many longterm couples. As evolutionary psychologist and anthropologist Gil Greengross said in Psychology Today, "people with a sense of humor are very desirable to be around in social gatherings and especially as mates." Being able to laugh together will help you get through life's ups and downs.
3You Have A Mutual Respect For One Another
Sure, some friendly teasing is a good thing, but you and you DF need to have a solid foundation of respect for one another. According to the Sutter Health Palo Alto Medical Foundation, couples who respect each other operate with trust, open communication, and compromises. It's the cornerstone of all healthy relationships.
4You Have Compatible Health Habits
Health and fitness habits matter when your lives are intertwined. And if your partner is supportive, then you may both reap the health benefits. "A happy couple can motivate each other to stay healthy—they'll go to the gym together, set goals, and feel responsible for each other," psychologist Maryann Troiani, told Health. You want to be with someone who will support your health goals in the long run.
5You Agree About Children
This might be the most important topic of all because you can't compromise and just have half a baby. Even before considering the baby question, a "couple needs to have a healthy, satisfying relationship with a clear understanding of, and strategies for working with, the pitfalls in their relationship,” Mudita Rastogi, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told PsychCentral. When it comes to having kids, you have to go all in.
6You Have Compatible Goals & Interests
Whether you're into sports or Netflix, having similar interests is helpful when it comes to making your relationship last for the long haul. You don't have to share absolutely everything — in fact it's probably better if you each have a hobby or two on your own — but it's always nice to bond over a new TV series or music genre.
7You Have Agreeable Approaches To Finances
This is another huge potential deal-breaker. As Susan Whitbourne, a University of Massachusetts Amherst psychology professor, said in U.S. News & World Report, “if you can work out the finances, then it could be a model for how you work out other problems.” So if you can talk about money, you can probably talk about anything.
8You Have A Geographic Compatibility
Where will you and your SO live? It's easier than ever to move to another state or even country, but this could also entail some serious decisions about your permanent home base. Would you want to be near your hometown, or are you more open to trying out a new city?
9You Have A Matched Libido
Are your libidos roughly at the same level? It's an important consideration. According to Health Central, different sex drives can wreck an otherwise-great relationship. It's important to be honest about this aspect of your desires.
10You Have Accepted Your Differences
No one is perfect, but can you accept your SO's differences (and even flaws)? As psychotherapist Deborah Hecker said in the Huffington Post, "many years of couples’ and individual counseling have convinced me that defining partnership problems in terms of our partner’s character flaws and implying that he/she is inadequate and needs help will exacerbate the conflict." Trying to force your SO to make major personality or lifestyle changes will probably not end well for either of you.
11You Have Shared Joy
Is your life better with your partner in it? Great! Go on enjoying one another's company with your DF.
