What to do when your friend won’t stop third wheeling on dates

When you’re going on a romantic date with your partner, the last thing you want is your friend tagging along.

The you plus your significant other plus your bestie date is a dreadful situation for everyone involved especially if he or she is uninvited.

Well, sometimes it is hard for your friend to get the memo especially if you are all friends and you have been buddies from way back even before your partner came into the picture.

Out of no ill intention, they might be unaware of how they are getting up into your space especially when you need some alone time with your bae. To let them off easy, here are some solutions you can employ to avoid those awkward scenarios:

Tell them the truth

Maybe you have been avoiding that uncomfortable conversation with your friend for a while now which is completely understandable. There is a fear of hurting their feelings and you are probably worried that this conversation could end your friendship altogether.

This fear is valid but you can’t avoid telling them how you truly feel. Be as gentle and as sensitive as possible and let them know that they still have you in their corner and you will always be friends you just need some time with your partner alone. They will probably understand.

Set boundaries

You should also communicate on what your expectations are. If you just want to have your space without them whenever you are out on a date, let it be known up front.

They might be hanging out with you because they don’t want to feel left out and alone but if you are not comfortable with it, make your boundaries clear.

Don’t tell them your plans

You don’t always have to tell your friend every single plan you have. You might have a close friendship with someone who you talk to all the time but that doesn’t mean that they need to know what you’re always up to.

If it’s your bestie who is always ruining your romantic dates, don’t keep telling them where you are going. Don’t look at it as being sneaky because there is nothing wrong with wanting to do things without them. I mean, you have your own separate lives so live like you do.

Stick to your decision

Friends joke all the time so you need to be serious with your decision to leave them out of your dates so that they don’t take it jokingly.

It could be that you are all used to hanging out together as a group so you should probably communicate in a way that they know it’s not for fun.

If you hesitate on your decision, don’t be surprised when they tag along on your date night time and time again.

Bring an extra date for them

If you are having a hard time avoiding your friend in these scenarios, why not involve a fourth wheel?

You will get to hang out with your partner and your friend won’t feel as awkward because they will at least have someone to talk to.

Another option you can try, if your friend is dating, is inviting their partner for a double date. The next time they insist on hanging out with you just make sure there is someone else to keep them occupied.

But that said and done, this is a temporary solution because your relationship could suffer if you don’t directly tell your friend to stop showing up.