“A strong woman is a woman determined to do something others are determined not be done.” – Marge Piercy
Women tolerate all kinds of things in a relationship. When women get together and talk about their past relationships, they’re often appalled by all of the things they put up with. Thankfully, relationship experts have been listening and they’ve been able to compile a list of things that women should never tolerate in a relationship. Some of these things seem so normalized that many strong women don’t realize that it’s something they don’t need to put up with.
HERE ARE 7 THINGS STRONG WOMEN SHOULD NEVER TOLERATE IN A RELATIONSHIP
1. NO KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
As charming as it might be to cook dinner for your partner every once in a while, not knowing how to cook isn’t actually a charming trait. A strong woman should never put up with someone who can’t cook themselves a meal or doesn’t know how to fend alone for a few days.
Women should be companions to their partners – not mothers. Not knowing how to cook is really, truly, a baseline for any adult. Otherwise, “This signals that he may not see you as an equal,” says Jennine Estes, M.F.T and author of Relationships In The Raw.
2. NOT CLEANING UP AFTER THEMSELVES
A woman in a relationship is not a maid or a housekeeper! If a man leaves his drawers all over the floor, his wet towel on the bathroom sink, and his socks outside the hamper, then he’s definitely not ready for an adult relationship. A strong woman should never have to tolerate picking up after a man every time she comes over. If he can’t clean up after himself, then he needs to do some growing up.
3. LACK OF COMPROMISE
Rex Tillerson once said, “Compromise on ethical conduct is not an option.” A strong woman should always have a relationship in which compromise is the preferred form of ending disagreements. No strong woman should ever tolerate being in a relationship with a man who doesn’t want to compromise. Compromise is one of the backbones of being in a serious relationship. There’s no need to tolerate a relationship where one person doesn’t want to give and only wants to take.
4. VERBAL ABUSE
Strong women may not realize that they’re being abused in a relationship, because the abuse might not be physical. Relationship experts all agree that this is one of the top things that strong women should never tolerate in a relationship. Their partners should all be speaking to them with respect. Strong women should never tolerate being spoken down to, condescended, insulted, or verbally humiliated in her own relationship.
5. UNSUPPORTIVE OF HER GOALS
Being in a relationship is like having a built-in support system. According to research by the Brigham Young University, “ambivalence in a relationship — the feeling that a partner may be unpredictable with his or her support or negativity — can take a quiet toll on the health of an individual.” A strong woman will have plenty of goals that she wants to achieve in her life.
A strong woman should have a partner who is supportive of those goals. If a man in a relationship is ever unsupportive of a strong woman’s goals, then that’s a red flag that the relationship isn’t going to work. Relationship experts agree that a strong woman should never tolerate an unsupportive partner.
6. DOESN’T HELP WITH THE CHILDREN
Sometimes, a relationship gets all the way to marriage and children before a strong woman realizes that she’s been tolerating unacceptable behavior. Strong women should never tolerate a man who doesn’t help out with the children. Parenthood should be a task that is shared among both partners, and a strong woman should never tolerate a man who doesn’t pull his share of the weight.
7. UNTRUSTWORTHY
A strong woman should always be able to trust her partner. Relationships survive on trust and communication. No one should feel like they can’t trust the person they love. A strong woman, then, should never tolerate being in a relationship with someone who can’t be trusted. She should never have to tolerate a man who tells lies – about himself, or his life, or about what he’s doing or who he is with.
Final thoughts
There are so many things in a relationship that no one should have to tolerate. Many women may not realize that the little annoyances in their relationships are actually pretty unacceptable. A strong woman should know all of her boundaries, desires, and wants in a relationship. She should have control of her life, and that includes controlling who she chooses as a partner. Relationship experts have been researching the types of things that should never be tolerated in a relationship, and these are the top behaviors. Strong women should not tolerate their partners exhibiting these things in a relationship.
