What is some awesome relationship advice for men that your friends might keep to themselves? What advice are they holding back and not telling you?

Guys, relationships are not easy. Yikes – “Great start to an article! Go on, depress me!” But it’s true! And you probably know how true it is by now – boy, do you know it. A relationship doesn’t come gift-wrapped like a Christmas present. It comes in a kit. You have to assemble it yourself.

Sometimes, it can feel like someone has emptied a jigsaw puzzle out of a box, leaving you to put it together all by yourself in dim lighting. The great thing is that you don’t have to do this by yourself. A relationship involves two people working together as a team. And as well as the two of you, there are also your friends and family who are on standby to give you the advice to help you smooth over the cracks and make a success of this.

But what happens when the advice isn’t good enough? We’re here to help fill in the gaps.

Let her know you appreciate her

We’re not talking the odd “thanks, babe” or the “Finally!” after she’s made your dinner. We’re talking heartfelt displays of appreciation. Women work very hard to make a relationship work. And you know what? They don’t really expect much thanks or gratitude, but a little bit goes a long way.

Now is the time to show her how much you appreciate her. Make her blush with your appreciation and compliments for all she does for you! Be specific. Be genuine. Even a little thank you can mean a lot to her.

It is always best to be honest

Your friends might never mention this because they’re scared of being honest. Honesty is the best policy for a relationship, and it can eventually create fireworks instead of fires you have to keep putting out every day.

When you’re not honest with your partner, all the little grievances mount. Eventually, they reveal themselves in terse comments, backhanded compliments, and a poor attitude. Be honest right from the start. If something is upsetting you about your partner, be fair to her and give her the chance to make amends by telling her about it straight away.

This also applies to texting. Do you prefer that she doesn’t send you text messages when you are busy at work? Instead of getting angry each time your phone goes “beep”, let her know that you love receiving text messages from her, but not when you’re in an intense meeting with your boss or a client.

These little things add up. So, don’t ignore them and then use it against her at a later date. That’s just mean and bad for a relationship.

Argue with your partner

Let’s clear it up: We’re not saying that you should purposely wake your partner up so that you can have Round 2 with her! We’re saying that you should argue with her constructively – instead of walking away from an augment with the old chestnut “I’m going to the bar!”

Instead of walking away from conflict, address your differences. Constructive arguments are important because they give us a chance to air our differences and reach a compromise. Out of the ashes of arguments, progression arises. Confront your issues rather than turn away from them.

Let her know you are proud of her

Women are vulnerable and need to be treated with respect, just like you. They need you to remind them of your love. And they want you to tell them how proud you are of them.

A woman loves to hear her man talking with great fervor and enthusiasm about how proud he is of her. She loves to see his face light up, his chest swell, and his voice project as he tells his friends and family about her accomplishments. So do it. Don’t keep your pride to yourself.