Q: Dear Lara, my friend and I just started taking things to the next level by dating, but now our circle of friends have taken it upon themselves to give advice and become involved in our relationship. I love them, but there is a lot of back and forth which is just complicating things. What is a good way of telling them to back off without hurting their feelings?

A: It is hard to make the leap from being friends to being more than friends, not only for you but also for the friends that surround you. In some ways, you should feel blessed that you have friends that care so much about your well-being and your relationship. However, by getting involved in your relationship, they may not realize that they are confusing things in an already confusing situation. By calmly explaining all this, they will get the picture, even if it annoys them at first. If their frustration does not go away and they still want to be involved in your relationship, then they may not have your best interests in mind.