Knowing how to talk about expectations in a relationship can be difficult - even more so if you've already been with your partner for a few years. At the beginning of a relationship, talking about your needs and wants comes more naturally as you figure each other out. As the years go by though, we can assume more than we should.
It's important to discuss expectations in a relationship as they can change year by year even if nothing major happens, as well as after big life events and relationship issues. "Expectations of ourselves and each other and our lives are alive and well within us whether we speak of them or not, whether we are conscious of them or not," says Heather Garbutt, a psychotherapist and love and relationship therapist. "We may also be expecting things from our partners which we think we have agreed a long time ago, but of which they are completely unaware or have totally forgotten. This is often a source of pain and disappointment to both sides of the relationship."
