Eventually, the honeymoon stage will be over and the love you have for each other is tested to the extreme (sorry to burst your bubble if you hadn’t figured this out yet). You’re up against the flaws that you used to find adorable and couldn’t get enough of, but now just the thought of them drives you temporarily insane. Accepting your partner’s flaws is the key to a happy, long-term relationship, so if you think she could be the one, you’ll want to keep reading to be able to keep her around for good.

Accept Your Own Flaws

Start by accepting that you also have flaws! No one’s perfect, not even you. We all come with some sort of baggage and acknowledging your own flaws will help you to accept your partner’s. What is it that you bring to the relationship that your partner puts up with? It’s easier to see faults in others than in ourselves but if you think hard enough, you’ll realize that they look past the ones they see in you, and isn’t that enough for you to want to return the favor?

Put Them Into Perspective

Are their flaws really as bad as you think they are? In the heat of the moment that made you frustrated enough to want to google “how to accept your partner’s flaws” and end up here, they can seem like a way bigger deal than they actually are. Frustration can cause you to lose sight of what’s important.

Maybe she’s a huge morning person and wakes you up at 7 am sharp every day, even on weekends, as she makes a smoothie. That extra half an hour in bed might be worth fighting for when you’re groggy and tired but when you’ve finally woken up, put it into perspective. Yes, she might make a racket in the kitchen every morning, but she makes you a smoothie every morning too, right? Points for selflessness. And is there anyone else you’d rather sleep next to even if she does get out of bed earlier than you? If the answer’s no, suck it up.