So you and your honey bun have taken a decisive step and moved in together. Once the unpacking is done, a settling-in phase is often necessary before life under the same roof feels comfortable. For some, this period is often fraught with doubt, more or less benign conflict and increased irritability, whereas for others, the first few months together are a veritable honeymoon. Here are the comments of three young men and three young women who were able to rise to the challenge.

 

“Living together brought my boyfriend and I closer. Since we were both studying medicine and our crazy schedules almost never overlapped, it was really difficult to see each other on a regular basis before we moved in together. I would say our biggest challenge was to talk about something other than “work” at home. Medicine is our passion, but there are other things in life!” - Anne-Sophie

 

“When I moved in with my boyfriend, it was the second time I lived with a guy. The transition went really well; there were no arguments over chores! We knew our strengths and weaknesses and luckily, they evened each other out. In order to avoid conflict, we kept our finances separate. So I can spoil myself as much as I want!” -Sylvie

 

“The first time my boyfriend moved in with me, we were both really young. We fought a lot, especially about video games and meals. He’s pretty picky about food. He could eat his favourite dish four times a week without getting bored, but I like a bit of variety. He moved out on his own for a year and a half before we tried living together again. This time, it’s much better. I’ve accepted that at dinner, we eat different meals. He has his spaghetti and I have my lentil curry!” - Geneviève

 

“She had moved out of her parents’ place when she was pretty young, whereas it was my first experience living in an apartment. Learning how to budget, run errands, thinking about meals and calling when I was going to be home later than I thought was a real challenge for me. On her end, I think she had to learn how to be patient. We still argue sometimes, but we’re not so bad!”- Jérôme

 

“I’ve always liked to have friends over to my place for a drink, but my girlfriend is more low-key than me, especially during the week. Our challenge was about that. We compromised and decided not to have groups of friends over on weeknights but I could invite whomever I wanted on the weekend. But not without checking with her first, of course!” - Émile

 

“Before my girlfriend moved in with me, I had some single guy habits that I had to say goodbye to. Going out without having to check in with anyone, using the same plate for my toast in the morning and at night (ha!), being alone at home and not having to pay attention to anyone… that’s all over now. We also had to learn to synch our schedules. Her challenge: accepting to share closet space!” - Richard