probation period

Happy Hump Day, everybody! Everyone's talking about Obama's first 100 days in office -- but what happens during the first 100 days of a new relationship?

This AJC blogger describes the tendency to regard the first three months of a relationship as an "observe and report" phase.

Under that mindset, the scenario is similar to performing your due diligence after making an offer on a new home. You're not obligated to enter a serious relationship, but you've expressed a desire to move forward.

So you spend the early days examining the ins and outs of your partner of choice. It's a probation period that explains why guys like Steve Harvey say you should wait three months before gettin' busy.

Do you apply a "probation period" to the early stages of your relationships?