SHOULD YOU GIVE YOUR EX A BIRTHDAY PRESENT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET YOUR EX BACK?

It's not always easy to know the right move to make in the period of time following a breakup. This becomes even more difficult if you're trying to get your ex back. Most people walk a very fine line between appearing open to the idea of reconciliation and seeming just a tad over-eager.

Getting your ex back is your number one priority. You don't want to do anything to jeopardize that. Yet, you believe you NEED to give your ex something to commemorate the event of his or her birth. It's understandable. But, is it the right move to make?

Ask yourself a few quick questions to help you determine whether or not giving a gift at this stage of your efforts is the right move to make.

1) How often do the two of you talk? If you talk regularly and are on friendly terms, then a platonic gift is quite appropriate provided that your ex initiates most of the conversations between the two of you.

2) Is your ex the one initiating the conversations? Your ex should be initiating most, if not all of the conversations between the two of you. If you're the one making all the effort to get conversations started, then you need to take a step back and reconsider your approach.

3) Would you feel awkward about offering a gift to your ex? If offering the gift doesn't feel 100 percent natural to you, then it's a bad idea. End of story. Wait until a stage in your relationship where it feels completely natural to give a gift to your ex.

4) Is the gift appropriate for the current state of your relationship? Here's the real rub, though.

The gift needs to be appropriate for how things are between the two of you now. Don't go overly sentimental, symbolic, or inappropriate. This isn't an opportunity to apply pressure, but to stay the course. The gift may be meaningful, but it should not make your ex feel uncomfortable.

Gifts are great for brightening days and celebrating life events. In ordinary circumstances, you'd always want to give someone you're dating a gift to celebrate a birthday or important life milestone. When you're trying to get your ex back, though, the wrong gift -- or a gift at the wrong time, can easily have an effect that is far opposite of its intent. Tread carefully.