As a man, dating someone is one of the best experiences that you will ever go through, as you unfold the secret called love and get to know it by yourself. You will surely go through ups and downs, have fights as well as arguments as no relationship is a sugar coated donut. Such experiences will lead to a healthy relationship that can turn into a serious one and have a future as well.
When it comes to taking the next step in order to make a relationship a serious and committed one, most couples choose to live together and make compromises as well as adjustments to see if they can be compatible for a marriage. A live-in relationship certainly takes a lot of work, much more than you were normally putting in previously, but can work wonders if you take the right steps.
As a man, you might not know what exactly you are supposed to do when moving in with your partner in a live-in relationship. There are no certain rules in a live-in relationship, however, it can definitely fail if you don’t put in the right efforts in it. If you are about to get into a live-in relationship but have no idea what exactly you need to do in it, we might have a few tips for you. Have a look below:
Don’t Take Each Other for Granted
When a couple starts living together, somewhere or the other, they soon start taking each other for granted. The romance and intimacy dies down and the two people are living together just for the sake of the relationship. However, it doesn’t have to happen in your case.
Physical intimacy isn’t the only way to keep the romance alive in a live-in relationship, keep it alive by touching each other on the arm, neck or shoulders. Hold your partner’s hand when you are together to let her know that you will always be by their side. Have your morning coffee together as the sun is rising and take showers together to keep that romance alive in a live-in relationship.
Another very important factor to keep in mind is to have open communication. You and your partner are not bound by the legal factors to keep living together, it is upto your own willingness that you both are having a harmonious partnership. To make sure that the level of intimacy doesn’t die down, it is also important to keep all levels of communication open, talk things out, be an open listener and be there for each other. After all, when you come back home at the end of a tiring day, it is your partner who will be waiting at the other end.
Do Things Together
As you are in a live-in relationship, there are countless things that you can do with your partner together. It doesn’t have to be something hectic, such as hiking or backpacking. You can choose to do gardening or cooking a meal together as well as watching a movie together after a hard day at work.
It doesn’t mean that while you bake those cookies they need to come out perfect; they might get burnt as well. However, what counts is the fun you had while preparing the cookie dough, talking to each other, sharing office gossip as well as getting intimate. Apart from that, you can always pamper your partner with breakfast in bed on a Sunday morning to let them know that you will always love them.
Learn to Give Space
Although you will be in a live-in relationship and will be seeing each other a lot all this while, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give each other personal and private space. While the both of you will be spending a lot of time with each other, it doesn’t mean that you must spend all the time together. Remember, both of you are two individual personalities so you can’t set boundaries for each other.
If they like travelling and you prefer watching Netflix at home, then let them go on a weekend getaway with their friends while you have a FRIENDS marathon at home with your buddies. It is highly important to have some time apart in a live-in relationship as spending all the time together can lead to unnecessary fights and arguments.
Share Household Chores
As the both of you will be living together, it won’t be one person’s job to do all the household chores; you both will have to discuss and share them. If you are getting the groceries and cleaning the house, they might be cooking as well as doing the dishes.
However, if you are of the opinion that certain household work should only be done by a preferred gender, well then the idea of live-in is also too modern and maybe should not have been your priority. We live in the 21st century and assigning certain tasks according to gender are below rectitude.
In a live-in relationship, you need to share the household chores equally, no matter what they are. If you are good at cooking, you can prepare the meals, even though you are a man. If you are a clean freak, you can opt for cleaning the house and it doesn’t matter that you are a man.
Be Clear about Your Relationship
Not every relationship is all about hugs and smiles as it seems on Instagram. There is a lot more behind that selfie that the couple took to post online. They might seem perfect on social media, but in reality, they might be fighting just because they are not on the same page. While your partner is deeply in love with you, you might have decided to move in with them only to save rent. Or you might be thinking of marrying your partner one day, which is why you might have decided to be in a live-in relationship with them.
No matter what the reason is, you need to be clear about your intentions for moving in with your partner and not lead them on in hope for a future if you are not planning to have one with them. Often men don’t discuss such a delicate topic with their partner and it leads to a terrible ending of a relationship. If you and your partner are not on the same page, moving in together will not be the right decision.
Discuss Finances
Money should be the last thing on the list that tears apart your relationship. It is important that you keep your finances separate; a live-in relationship doesn’t mean that you support each other financially. However, when it comes to dealing with expenses, such as rent, bills and groceries, they must be split. Just because you are a man doesn’t mean you should be taking care of them.
Beware of Unwanted Pregnancies
Physical intimacy is the need of the hour in a live-in relationship; it should not be dismissed for sure. Sex can be put on the table any time, whether at night or early in the morning. However, you need to make sure that you don’t come across any unwanted pregnancy, especially if you are not planning to get married any time soon.
Make sure that you use protection while being intimate as well as make sure that your partner takes the after morning pill. Abortion is a tricky process, so it is important that you don’t get pregnant in the first place.
Sort Out Fights and Arguments
Initially, a live-in relationship will seem to be perfect in every way. It will be blooming just like a rose. However, sooner or later, there will be fights as well as arguments coming up over the most little things. These things are normal in a relationship. Every relationship goes through its ups and down to become a mature and healthy one. When we start living with someone else and start to share our personal space with another person, there are bound to be some complications, certain compromises and adjustments in order to harmoniously live together.
However, whenever you are having an argument or fight with your partner, leaving your house in between or saying things like living together was a wrong decision can be very hurtful. Even though you might have reacted this way due to anger, it’s important to put yourself in your partner’s shoes and act accordingly. Remember that even if you think that you are compromising more in the relationship, the same might be going through your partner’s mind. It is easier to just give up and walk away, especially in a live-in relationship as there is no law that binds you with your partner. It is just the will and love between you and your partner that is keeping you two together.
Apart from that, physical abuse is a complete no-no and won’t make you a man in front of them. Even if you are not in a live-in relationship with your partner, showing your aggression, displeasure, disappointment or disapproval towards a certain thing should not be shown through physical or verbal abuse. There are peaceful ways like talking out things and communicating your displeasure in certain regard by peacefully discussing and having an honest and mature conversation that can be beneficial for both.
Conclusion
Moving in with your partner and stepping into a live-in relationship can be a serious step in a relationship. We advise that you should do it only if you are serious about them and plan a future with them. If you are having second thoughts about them then it is better to not take this step.
A live-in relationship is a tricky business and keeping your partner happy won’t be an easy job. You will have to put in double the efforts than you had put in earlier and there might be chances that you might even give up, if you have a phobia of commitment. However, finding that one person that you love and who loves you back is a beautiful feeling and living with them is undoubtedly an amazing experience.
Apart from that, if you plan on marrying them, a live-in relationship will help you in adjusting to their lifestyle while they adjust to yours as well as make certain compromises that are fine by both of you. If you are unable to adjust, then you will realise that fact soon and part ways without getting married and going through the biggest heartbreak of your life.
In any case, a live-in relationship will assist you in finding your soulmate for life and keep you happier than you were previously with them.