Relationships can be very tricky at times. There are many ups and downs and lessons to be learned from dating. Not only can you learn a lot while actually being in a relationship, but you can also learn a lot by watching other’s relationships unfold. Here are the 12 biggest lessons that I’ve learned from being a third wheel.

1. The person you are dating should never criticize you for how many people you have or have not been with before them.

2. They should never judge you on how many tacos you can eat in one sitting.

3. Your S.O. should never ever try to convince you to have any type of sexual relations with them if you aren’t ready or don’t want to.

Just because you're in a relationship doesn't mean you have to do anything.

4. They have to be ok with your future plan.

Maybe you don’t want to get married, maybe you don’t want to have kids, maybe you want to travel the world and never settle down. No matter what it is you want your future to look like, they have to be ok with it because you should never change for anyone but yourself.

5. You both have to have similar music tastes. It may seem like a small detail but trust me it's a big deal.

6. Hanging out and just catching up on Stranger Things is awesome but having real dates is very important.

7. You should be able to trust them to be around the opposite sex.

Just because your boyfriend is at a party and girls are there doesn’t mean anything will happen. Trust is a big factor for having a good relationship.

8. Whoever you're with should never criticize for your weight, looks, or clothing style.

No one should ever be trying to change who you are.

9. Once in a relationship don’t forget about your friends.

Remember who was there for you before you started dating your significant other.

10. If you discover red flags when you start dating someone you should take that as a sign that the relationship may not be right for you.

11. If your friends don’t like who you're dating you honestly may want to reevaluate the relationship.

There may definitely be something wrong if your friends don’t support you and who you're dating.

12. Friends are a package deal.

You don’t have to be best friends with your significant other’s friends but you definitely have to get along with them.