Are You Sure Youre Ready To Live Together

Men's Dating

Are You Sure You’re Ready to Live Together?

David Wygant

Written by: David Wygant

David Wygant

David Wygant is an internationally-renowned dating and relationship coach, author and speaker. To find out more about David and all of his dating and relationship-building products, visit www.davidwygant.com.

Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

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I was reading today about Justin Theroux and Jennifer Anniston’s relationship being the most high-profile relationship in the world. And I was thinking it’s also one of the most challenging.
How many times have you thought about living with a woman?

How many times have you actually moved in with her, and then you had to give up one of your most valued possessions? She asked you to throw away something you love but she didn’t like.

Did ever see “When Harry Met Sally”?

One of the characters in the movie had to give up a wagon wheel coffee table because the woman he’s dating didn’t like it.

Usually the man needs to give up something he loves, and that’s not being sexist. It’s just the way it is.

Sometimes it’s well deserved, too. Some guys have the worst furniture in the world. Honestly, some of it looks like they found it down the street with the sign, “You can take me away!”

Justin Theroux had cut-off wax heads from the 1800s. That was his thing Jennifer decided she couldn’t live with!

That’s the least of the challenges of living together.

I don’t mind giving up a couch. I don’t mind giving up some weird artwork. But I’ve heard other demands.

A friend of mine had to give away his dog. Another friend of mine could only see his children on certain days.

The demands some women make when you live together are crazy, especially some of their emotional demands.

“You need to respect your

partner’s space and freedom.”

Living together is all about compromise.

Nobody should demand you can’t have your friends over to the house on Sunday to watch football. Nobody can tell you your three-year-old kid from a previous relationship isn’t allowed to sit on the new sofa.

When you’re negotiating what comes and what goes when you’re living together, you need to look at the person you negotiate with on a much deeper level.

Like I said, the couch, weird artwork and simple things aren’t a problem. The big personal things that make you who you are have to stay!

Living together is about becoming one with each other, but you still have to have separate lives. You still have to do the things you enjoyed doing before you met. Otherwise, when you live together, you’re not really going to be yourself.

If she wants some friends over Sunday to drink tea, hang out and talk, then so be it. If you want your friends to come over and watch games so you can talk about your fantasy football league, then that is also right.

Your crazy brother who comes into town six times a year and wants to stay over every single time is something the two of you need to talk about.

Those sorts of things are a bit more intrusive, and you need to respect your partner’s space and freedom.

How many of you have lived with a woman who made ridiculous demands, and what did you do about it?

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