Just because you were an item won't necessarily make you bffs, though. There are two things you need to consider, say relationship experts.
1. You've both moved on
Make sure you're staying friends with an ex for the right reasons -- as long as you've both moved on and aren't desperately hoping for a second shot at romance, there's no reason why you can't pursue a friendship.The friendship won't happen overnight, though, and may not ultimately work out, warns Susan J. Elliott, author of Getting Past Your Break-up: How to Turn a Devastating Loss into the Best Thing That Ever Happened to You. "Not every couple can be friends in the end and sometimes, you just have to admit that it wasn’t a good idea," says Elliott.
2. It was a mutual break-up
In a truly mutual break-up, neither person will be hanging on in the hope that the romance will be on the cards again. "Even if the break-up was amicable, there should be some time apart to break the couple bond," advises Elliott.But if either of you is blaming the other for incidents that happened during the relationship and holds onto those ill feelings, it's almost impossible to maintain civility, let alone friendship, for every long. "Blame, resentment and an itch for revenge are what you need to watch out for -- those are the measurements you can use to tell your friendship just isn't right yet," says relationships expert, April Masini, the author of Think And Date Like A Man.
