It was reported this week that Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen are dating again.  The couple met in 2007 on the set for Jumper, got engaged in 2008, then in June this year decided to take a “break” and in August, called it quits for good. But now they’re back together, which begs the question: Are on-again/off-again relationships a good idea? They may be, depending on why you keep breaking up and making up.

Bilson and Christensen allegedly split up initially due to distance, since Christensen lives in Canada and Bilson spends most of her time in California for work.  If the reason you and your main squeeze keep splitting is because you don’t see enough of each other, you should either figure out a way to make things work closer together, or call it quits for good – who wants to be in a long distance relationship with no end in sight?

If your on-again/off-again fling is only in your life for those in-between phases when the two of you are conveniently single, I hate to say it, but you’re technically not in an on-again/off-again relationship…but that’s okay, too! It’s perfectly fine to have someone around for when you, you know, don’t have someone around.

But if you’re breaking up and making up for bigger issues – one person is afraid to commit totally, someone is a cheater/liar/otherwise deceptive, etc. – it’s probably best to throw in the towel before anyone gets hurt (or before anyone gets hurt more, that is). This is especially true if there’s been talk of marriage – like with Bilson and Christensen.  Bilson isn’t currently wearing her engagement ring, and when asked about wedding plans, she pointed to her bare finger and said, “No plans.” If the two of you disagree on key issues – whether to have kids, where to live – the situation is only going to worsen over time as one of you becomes resentful of the other.

Tags: on-again, off again, dating, rachel bilson, hayden christensen
Categories: Tips and advice