Disclosure: collaborative post
Have you decided to move in together? Congratulations!
Living with your partner for the first time is a bold and significant milestone in the relationship. Surprisingly, most couples name pandemic as a reason for living together. Since the first lockdown, we’ve seen a lot of young couples take their relationship to the next level by sharing a home. And, all things considered, it could be a great idea to strengthen your bonds.
But not everything will be easy. If you’ve been living by yourself for a long time, you need to prepare yourself for your new couple’s life. When you share a home, you can’t afford to ignore your partner’s preferences, quirks, and dreams. While it doesn’t mean you should change your habits to embrace theirs, you do need to agree on some crucial points to avoid arguments and conflicts. Where do I start, you ask. Well, just head below to a list of the 7 priority discussions you need to have with your partner as you move in together. Bear in mind that everyone is different, so don’t take this list as the unique possible approach. You want to add other topics that may be specifically relevant to you and your partner.
#1. Baby Plans
Are you ready? Is she ready? Do you want a baby? Does she? It’s like opening an infinite can of worms. Asking the question can be uncomfortable, and before you know it you’ve started a huge row over it. Granted, it’ll be easier to ignore the issue altogether. But that wouldn’t be fair on either of you. Perhaps one of you is dreaming of parenthood while the other still ordered their contraceptive pill online during the lockdown. If you don’t align your expectations, you could be stuck in your impossible dream for a very long time! Ideally, you just want to have the conversation. It’s a big decision for both of you. Women put themselves through a lot to become mothers, so, understandably, not everyone is willing to take a break from their body and career goals. And you know what? That’s just fine. Having the conversation is about understanding how you both feel about it, so there’s no misunderstanding or impossible hopes.
#2. Food Quirks
Different tastes in food can be manageable with a little practice. But when you and your partner have got completely different diets, you will need to plan carefully. Eating together when you’ve got different dietary needs is no walk in the park. Your favourite breakfast could be granola, but she prefers avocado and egg in the morning. You’re a coffee drinker. She functions best on green tea. You like a carb-heavy meal. She limits grains and gluten. Once you understand your true food profiles, you can make it work and continue to eat together. What works for your body may not work for your partner’s. But rather than focusing on differences, it can be helpful to steer the conversation towards the things you both love and can share. It can be easier to cook common meals and let each of us supplement their diets on top. A vegetarian living with a meat-eater can agree to prepare a large warm salad, to which one would add grilled halloumi and the other a thinly sliced steak.
#3. Sleeping Preferences
It’s not fun sleeping when you’re too hot or too cold in bed. But, unless you and your partner can see one-to-one to the ideal bedding, it’s going to be an endless series of impossible compromises. I’m too hot, you say. I’m freezing, she complaints. It can go on like that forever. And quite frankly, this shouldn’t even be a problem. Scandinavian and German sleepers have a practical approach to the bedtime routine that could be inspiring for your couple. They use separate duvets. So, you can pick a lighter duvet and she can have a warmer one. In the end, two one-person duvets could be a better option than being uncomfortable under a double duvet!
#4. My Previous Stuff
A couple should share everything. It’s about love and trust. Blah, blah, blah. We all know there’s stuff we don’t want to share with our loved one. The expensive skincare products she’s got sent from South Korean have been a wonder during lockdown. But you can bet she’ll be more than a little annoyed if you were to help yourself to some face cream as part of your morning routine. Sorry, you are using what?! But I paid a lot of money for that and I was trying to make it last! The same argument applies to a variety of items inside our homes. Your favourite t-shirt that you bought as a child with grandparents is not loungewear material. How can she just put it on on weekends and try to be cute with it when it’s always had a special place in your heart? You reserve yourself the right to have your stuff. So it’s best to make it clear that some items are off-limits. As a side note, if you’re looking for movers to get your stuff where you need it to be, try your local Fort Worth Moving Company. No matter the circumstances or the destination, our job is to get your belongings from Point A to Point B. Whether we’re traveling through the state or going right down the street, we are up for the job!
#5. Who Pays For What?
Are you sharing costs? Some couples like to use a joint account to pay for household bills. Others prefer to keep their account separate and agree on individual responsibilities. Both approaches are fine. What matters is to clarify things before receiving the first bill. If one of you doesn’t work yet, you also need to be open about it. You don’t want to hold a grudge or create a pattern for low-esteem because you or your partner can’t contribute financially to the household right now.
#6. Shared Chores
It should be natural. But when you live together, it can be helpful to talk about the chores you enjoy doing and those you don’t. At least, it makes chore management easier! Seize also the opportunity to plan your ideal list of cleaning products, whether they’re homemade or shop-bought.
#7. Inviting Guests
We’ve all got friends, some common and some not. But when is it okay to invite your friends whenever you want? Are some days off-limits? If you know she’s got an early start in the and why you’re likely to find friends disruptive.
Once again, congrats on moving in together! Time together will be sometimes sweet and sometimes challenging. We all have good and bad days. But discussing these things ahead of the move could be a game-changer. Embrace your life together with good humour and a sincere heart; it’s the best way to avoid troubles!
