Long Term Relationship

[dot.hawkes]

What constitutes a long Term Relationship? Is there a benchmark? A test point, a set of events that have to be shared, experienced.
I only ask out of curiosity, as this last Friday I employed a 16 year old girl on a zero hour contract to cover the Christmas extra opening hours.
On her application form in the box asking about marital Status, she has written, "Long Term Relationship".
I am rather bemused by this, as her birthday is July, which means she is only just 16. What would her understanding of Long Term Relationship be do you think?
My Longest long term relationship is 17 years, and that is my current one, (we shall ignore the two occasions I fired him off) though it only beats my marriage by 6 months.

Dotty
xxxx

[OBonio]

2 weeks was a good stint when I was 16.

[stylinsam]

probably a long term relationship in a young girls eyes is from anything like a month to maybe 2 years,

i was the same when i met my bf, i was 16 - 17 when i met my bf and i thought after 3 months it was a long term relationship, lol xx

[zipadeedodah]

Haven't really thought about it before Dot, but I would probably consider anything 4-5 years plus a long-term relationship. I think everyone will have a different idea about it, and probably to a 16 year old (where you're lucky if a relationship lasts a month) one lasting about a year for example would seem pretty long!

[unruliejulie]

Hi Dotty,
I think its just a young girls way of saying she has a steady boyfriend, probably been together anything from 2 weeks to 6 months. Mind you, theres no telling these days, they start a lot younger than we did in "our" day!
I would class "long term" from a year onwards i think.

[laurence2]

Their is no ''Set figure'' so to speak regarding what contitutes a long term relationship, tho i believe that 5 years upwards what be deemed exceptable.

She probably put that down to impress you ie steady relationship, sensible trustworthy person

[Madgirl2]

I agree with Laurence2. She probably thinks that her answer makes her more reliable and trustworthy - highly amusing though it is. It reminds me of the time when I used to work for a high street bank. A lady opened an account with us and under 'occupation' wrote 'managing director's wife'............

[somebyrd]

In my eyes a long term relationship is one where either the couple are living as man and wife but agreed not to marry for whatever reasons or are engaged - I thing a long term relationship has to show some element of commitment .

As the other answers have shown though, everybody has their own personal views.

[PinkFizz]

Morning Dotty,

Personally If I said the phrase 'long term relationship' I would mean that I was with somebody for the future and didn't envisage ever splitting up with them - in other words I was with them for the long term.

[redcrx]

(hi somebyrd)

lol, i think Laurence has probably got it right when he says she may have said it to impress and show some maturity.

At 16, a whole week was a long term thing for me :)

[NH]

What do you mean, "fired him off", by the way? 'Cos from my viewpoint that sounds like a good thing to do in a relationship. Won't elaborate here.

Long term relationship is probably...let's say 3+ years. Medium term about 1+ year. Anything less obviously short term.

[dot.hawkes]

NH it means I tried to get rid of him but I didn't show commitment to keeping him gone and so he came back into my life. lol

[NH]

Oh...I thought you meant...never mind.

[ummmm]

So did I NH!!!!

[WendyS]

I suppose when you get to my ripe age you can legitmately claim 40 years as a long term relationship. When you've only lived for 16 years, I guess 12 months must seem a pretty long time !