Breaking up with an ex is never an easy road to navigate, and new research from luxury sex toy company LELO UK has found just how confusing it is for Brits when it comes to handling their relationship post-breakup.
Known for being polite and well-mannered, Brits seem to extend this behaviour to our relationships with ex-partners, with over half (54%) claiming they feel confused by ‘exetiquette’ with 49% admitting they have tried to stay friends with an ex and later regretted it.
The confusion doesn’t end there, with one third (28%) of Brits not letting bad blood get in the way of the festive spirit, admitting they will be buying their ex-partner a Christmas present this year and will also be telling their new partner about it.
Of those splurging on their ex, the average partner will receive a present costing around £44 which is not far off the £51 – £117 that they will spend on a current partner. When asked why they’ll be dishing the dollar on an ex, it’s simple really, one-fifth (17%) claim it’s because they like buying presents for them and it would feel wrong not to.
Despite 71% of Brits thinking that staying in touch with an ex makes it harder to have a new relationship, over one third (34%) claim that they wouldn’t be bothered if their partner did remain friends with an ex, and one fifth (18%) say they would feel reassured if they knew it was an amicable breakup.
On that note, when asked how romantic relationships should end, almost half (48%) said they believe both should try to stay on good terms, with a further 11% saying there should be a “cooling-off period” before considering being friends in the future.
When considering the most acceptable circumstances to stay friends post-breakup the top five reasons were as follows:
1. If you have children together: 55%
2. If your relationship became more like a friendship: 38%
3. If neither of you is a jealous person: 31%
4. When you were friends before you started a relationship: 30%
5. When you’re from the same friendship group: 26%
6. If you’re from a small town and will bump into each other: 24%
“Moving on from an ex-partner is always difficult regardless of whether things end amicably or not, and so for many people,” says LELO UK’s sex expert Kate Moyle.
“It’s difficult to know how to behave afterwards. If you’re unsure it’s always best to have an honest and open conversation with them to set realistic expectations and boundaries to ensure both parties feel comfortable.“
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