You can always expect commentary from the peanut gallery when you embark on a new relationship. But did you know that the peanut gallery - aka your friends - could have a negative effect on you and your beau? After all, your friends have been around a lot longer than your boyfriend, and their say can have a lot of influence on your life. It is tough on a friend who spends a lot of time with you to "share" you with a new partner, so it's important to keep your girlfriends' motives in mind when it feels like they're trying to pull you in two different directions, or worse, sabotage your new relationship. Here are a few warning signs that your friends are ruining your love life. First, those biting little comments about your new partner's appearance, attitude, job... whatever it may be, petty, jealous comments can eat away at your confidence in choosing your particular partner. And when they seem to like your mate but trash you in front of him, even in jest, it can have an impact on how he views you.
Some of your friends may prefer other people you dated in the past and just can't help reflecting on those glory days, even if you're happy with your current partner. Or they may poke fun at you - divulging amorous secrets from your past or embarrassing you by revealing not-so-complimentary information about you. When you reveal too much privately about your mate and your friends let him in on the fact that they, too, know his secrets - whether it's his performance in bed, his tendency to cry during sad movies or anything else - then it can put a major strain on your relationship. Bottom line: If your "friends" are sabotaging your relationship, even if they're always "just kidding" or truly don't mean to chip away at it, then maybe it's time to choose between them and your partner.