Living With A Messy Roommate

Is it me or does anyone else live with someone who leaves their clothes beside the bed instead of taking an extra five steps to throw it in the laundry basket? Or maybe they leave a trail of crumbs wherever they go? Not to mention, the mess that they can leave in the bathroom just by brushing their teeth and washing their face. HOW DO THEY DO IT?! It truly must be a gift. Right? If that sounds at all familiar to you then I have some news for you. Living with a roommate is hard enough as it is, you are used to living by yourself and adjusting to another person's way of living is sometimes challenging for some of us who like things a certain way but living with your significant other is a whole new ball game! I'm not sure if it's because guys are a tad bit messier than us chicas but either way, it can get a little out of hand sometimes if we don't know how to handle it. While it is still an ongoing process in our household, I did discover some techniques that might make it easier to live with your love so you can focus less on picking up after them and more on enjoying each other. 

Remind Them!

Honestly, just as I have lived a certain way for a long time, so has Ricky. Sometimes we just have to remind them to clean up their messes. They may not see it as something that will potentially upset us or frustrate us unless we express that it does to them. Here's where communication comes in. Once we remind them a few times, it will hopefully start sticking and they will know to do it almost every time. 

Praise Them When Necessary!

Just like any good action we do, we like to be acknowledged for it. There's a reason that it's called positive reinforcement, when a positive behavior is praised and rewarded, it is likely to make that person repeat that same positive behavior. If we praise and acknowledge our significant other for picking up after themselves, or for doing the laundry or helping you clean the apartment, let them know that they are appreciated and thank them for the help. 


Have a Conversation!

The most important part of all of this is to make sure that your significant other is aware and understands your living needs and how you like to live before you talk to them about what changes you would like made via neatness and cleanliness. Be honest with them about what you expect and communicate how important it is to you, I guarantee that they will do their best to help out!


Stay happy and beautiful! :)