Moving in with someone for the first time teaches you many things about them: their eating habits, their sleeping habits, their cleaning routines (or lack thereof), what they consider to be loud, etc. But if that person is also of the opposite sex, you might be fascinated enough to do a case study in how the other half lives.
Below, we’ve gathered some of the most illuminating (and some slightly disturbing) things women learned from living with men for the first time that they've revealed on Reddit, and I have to say, men never cease to amaze me. From their quirks in the bathroom to the adorably charming ways they surprise their partners, this list is certainly a roller coaster. Be sure to upvote all of the responses that shock you, or that you also only knew from living with a man, and let us know in the comments if you have anything else to add to this list. Then, if you’re interested in hearing from the opposite side after finishing this piece, you can find a Bored Panda article highlighting what men learned from living with women right here!
#1
I learned that sometimes when a man is very very hungover he will take a sad sitting down shower. Discovered my fiancé sitting on the shower floor like a drowned snuffleupagus
Image credits: Lebaneseblonde1
#2
Well the first surprise was moving in with my Dad and I was shocked that he never cleaned or cooked. Had a maid for cleaning and ate out for every single one of his meals. And my goodness, men are good at painting the wall with their p**s.The second surprise was moving in with my SO. Shocked to learn he is incredibly clean, able and willing to cook, and never gets p**s on the wall.
So I guess the thing I learned that would have been surprising to me as a teen is that all men are just as variable as women are. I blame my delay in realizing this on being raised in an all female home and not really having any male role models.
Image credits: DaughterEarth
#3
Pooping time is sacred and a great time to catch up on the news and browse some reddit.Can be slightly inconvenient when I need the bathroom and he's been in there for 1/2 an hour though.
Image credits: anon
#4
That when men have a cold, the world is ending. They can have a stuffy nose and sore throat and I would think they had cancer. One day I will go through the very intense and painful process of childbirth, and then maybe I will understand how a man feels when they're sick for a day.Edit: I get it. All of you guys are superman and never complain about being sick unless you're super, dying sick.
Image credits: mandi318
#5
They don't need 3 meals a day. They just need a giant meal once or twice.
Image credits: LonelyJewOnXmas
#6
They have different "rules" about things. A shirt is not dirty unless it's smelly, wet, or has fresh stains on it. They'll wear it again before choosing to wash it. Making the bed every morning is not required, it's a waste of time. "But what if we have company?" "Why would they go look at our bed? If they did, what's wrong with it being unmade? They might *gasp!* know that we sleep there?" It's a lot of practicality and efficiency vs making things look nice and "wasting" time.
Image credits: AbbyTheWondercunt
#7
How often men seem like they have something wrong, but they don't. For the first couple of months that we were living together I was convinced that he already hated living with me because there were so many times that he would zone out and not speak and give short answers.Turns out that he would just have something on his mind completely unrelated to our relationship.
Image credits: 45MinutesOfRoadHead
#8
This might be just specific to my boyfriend, but I was surprised at how much he was willing to compromise. He stopped leaving the toilet seat up, he hates vacuuming but he'll mop, and if I cook he cleans. I was honestly expecting cohabitating to be a real struggle, but it has strengthened our relationship tenfold.
Image credits: chillhoneybunny28
#9
We've been living together for over a year now, and I think my girlfriend is still shocked at how often I have an erection."We just had sex! Why are you hard again??"
"You were bending over..."
Image credits: erockd
#10
My wife learned that I cannot poop and hold a conversation at the same time. If I'm on the porcelain throne, then I demand solitude. I will not answer inanities like whether my blue shirt needs a wash or the kitchen is on fire.
Image credits: a_rainbow_serpent
#11
He can wiggle his penis.You know how some people can wiggle their ears, or just the tip of their nose? If we're laying around in bed, he sometimes 'waves' at me.
I didn't know it could move that much on its own.
Image credits: Blueninjakat
#12
That when taking a dump their penis can accidentally touch the rim of the toilet bowl.I had lived with a couple other dudes before my husband and never knew this was an issue. Then we bought a house and both of the toilets needed to be replaced. He spent a stupid amount of money at Home Depot on these toilets with elongated bowls and I was perplexed and irritated...until he explained why.
Image credits: Metalmorphosis
#13
Despite his balding hair, he insists on buying voluminizing shampoo.Babe, that's not going to fix it.
Image credits: effexxor
#14
Socks, everywhere socks.
Image credits: heleneotroy
#15
Something I've noticed since moving in with my SO is how much I enjoy having someone to help me out with stuff.I've always had kind of bad roommates who tend to not do their fair share of the work (to be fair, I'm a neat freak, so my standards are definitely set higher than the average person's). My SO, though, is always willing to help me out with anything I ask.
I also love having a perpetually available adventure buddy. Even if I just want to go to the grocery store, he's always willing to come with me.
Image credits: mirarom
#16
I go to bed and, when I wake up and head to my desk to work (I work from home), his jeans/pants, socks and shoes are on the floor. Why?! For reasons unbeknownst to me, after I go to bed, he strips down and leaves his clothes in the living room. If I don't pick up after him each morning, by the end of the week we have a small mountain of clothes in the corner.
Image credits: joliegrammar
#17
My husband will turn on the bedroom a/c to its highest setting and then pile three heavy blankets on top of himself. Then complain that it's too hot. Every. Single. Summer. Night.
Image credits: PaleoGirl94
#18
He wanted to get one of those little rugs that go around the toilet so he could "miss". Evidently he believed those rugs exist to be peed on.
Image credits: -purple-is-a-fruit-
#19
My girlfriend made me realize how much I play with my balls during the day.
Image credits: LSDeater
#20
Shaving is a sacred ritual. My husband closes the bathroom door, and takes his time shaving, then he comes out flawless.
Image credits: Brillito
#21
If all of your socks are the same color and the same style, you don't have to mate them. You can just stick them in a drawer and pull out two random socks without even looking at what you're grabbing.#22
That he can sit in front the computer/video games from morning 'til it's dark out without once getting up to pee, make food or turn on the bloody lights.
Image credits: savepiggy
#23
Most men don't have a garbage can in their bathroom.Hey guys, if you want to impress your lady friends, put a god damn garbage can in the bathroom! We have stuff we need to put in there sometimes!
Image credits: Costner_Facts
#24
Men are always hungry. They can check the fridge many times during evening to check if there is something tasty and ready to be grabbed. Also, if recipe says that it serves 4, it actually means that it serves 4 women or 1 man.#25
Am male, what my wife said most surprised her/baffles her is my bladder. When I go to bed, if I need to pee, I will. If I don't, I won't. And then I'll sleep the night with nary a stir. And might not pee for a few hours after I get up.On the flip side, she pees as part of her going to bed routine, otherwise she'll have to get up in the middle of the night to pee. She doesn't understand how I can go 12+ hours without peeing.
#26
I learned that my husband's guts are very talkative, to the point where it actually seems like they wait for the best moment to put their two cents in. This was completely new to me, because, if my guts are being loud, I'm already on the toilet praying for my guts to just vacate themselves and stop with the twisty-innards pain. For him, it's just normal, and he doesn't even feel what I've heard 25% of the time. Although, they do increase their talkativeness and volume according to their desire to vacate. I actually have to tell him to go use the bathroom sometimes, because of how insistent they're getting with their "Oooourrrrgghhhhuuugggooooob" noises and he wants to finish watching a video on his computer first.#27
There is a *lot* of shedding of body hair. I thought my head shed a lot but apparently his legs and chest and wherever else all these small dark hairs are coming from shed at least as much.
Image credits: ibbity
#28
They gossip just as much as women do.
Image credits: MyBobaFetish
#29
That you don't really know someone until you live with them.My ex used to turn up the heating way too high, get too hot, open the window and keep the heating on.
When I asked him why he would do this, he shrugged and said "I got hot."
He also used to wipe his boogers on the side of our bed and the side of our sofa. I'm not normally someone to see red, but that was f*****g gross. He was 23 for god sakes!
EDIT: Spelling! & Thanks for all the upvotes :D Nice to know that relationship was good for something (heheh)...
#30
Why the massive bucket of loose change???
Image credits: lostatsea93
#31
That's not a stain from glue, lotion, or a hair product: that's semen.Pockets must be emptied of all spare change and small pieces of garbage immediately after coming in the door, and deposited in random caches around the house.
This was also when I found out how awesome it is to wear his shirts, and have someone to tell me my cooking is good.
Image credits: cookiebootz
#32
So much nakedness.#33
I can roll over, wake my boyfriend out of a deep sleep, wiggles my eyebrows and say " you horny?" We do the sexy times, He is happy, I am happy, he goes back to sleep, I take shower and do whatever.Edit: we actually talked about it. I got horny one night and didnt wanna wake him up so I just ignored it and went back to sleep. Told him about it the next morning and he said I should have woke him up, he is always ready. Every time I have done this he has never said no. As we are still youngish, both of us around 30ish, I guess as we get older it'll start to diminish.
Edit again: clarified some things. He is the type that usually can fall back to sleep, he really doesn't mind. I wouldn't blue ball him.
Also this is my highest comment.
Image credits: GodEaterSha
#34
They hate spiders too.#35
From my few experiences living with guys, they have a WAY higher tolerance of the house being a total disaster. No food in the fridge? They'll just order take out every night. Dishes piled up in the sink? Just use a napkin as a plate. Garbage overflowing? Start a garbage pile next to the garbage can. They just don't care.#36
Besides my boyfriend, I've lived with plenty of men and what I've learned is that they're all different. Some are slobs, some are fastidious and clean, some are fussy and some have odd habits. It's almost like they're individual people with their own personalities. It's truly bizarre.My BF is way fussier than I am though, I've noticed. I think I'm kind of a slob though, so it makes sense.
#37
How fun it would be to be able to make spontaneous plans.How wonderful to have someone to snuggle with before you fall asleep.
How much more intimate it is to share the details of your day in person than over text.
How hard it would be when he moved out.
#38
Lived with a guy roommate once (just a roommate) who like to burp and actually say the words "burp", "belch", or "ralph" *while* burping. I dunno...maybe I'm a weird woman, but it always made me giggle.#39
My boyfriend used BLANKETS as curtains before living with me. I had to proclaim that we would be using actual curtains upon moving in together. He tried to get out of that by grumbling that curtains were an unnecessary expense ?
Image credits: tlg151
#40
I moved in with a bunch of male roommates. Friends with penises... Please get a garbage can WITH A LID. I can smell what you do in your personal time.Edit needed, it seems: I can smell that you just played whack-a-mole. It's...zesty.
Image credits: Katamende
#41
Men don't like to just talk, they like to fix problems.Men don't pay attention to details, they like to condense to essence. This is why a "how did your day go?" convo lasts twelve seconds.
A lot of men would prefer their women bottomless in a man's shirt than in some fancy lingerie that takes ten minutes to figure out how to dismantle.
Men do not need a lot of space for stuff, but the space they have is sacred and should not be encroached upon. Leave him his closet and his garage workshelf, and he'll be happy. If he insists on a mancave, best to let him have one and do not mock it.
Men are literally mystified by why it would take more than four minutes to get ready to go out. They are even more mystified why women would bother to go through that ritual if you're not going to see anyone you know when you go out.
For many, many, many men, words of praise, acknowledging accomplishment and stature, are the most generous acts of love you can provide.
Men literally become uncomfortable in their bodies without a sexual release after a couple days. It's not like they just don't think about it if it doesn't happen. If it doesn't happen, then that's all they can think about.
#42
That they're generally less messy than I am. Clothes can't be left on the floor for longer than 12 hours, dishes cant be dirty in the sink for longer than 24. And laundry gets done every day, every day!!!#43
They just don't seem to have any idea about when something in the house needs doing without being told. I hate having to ask my other half to do very basic stuff like empty the bin or put their dishes in the dishwasher (I thought plates littering the kitchen work tops would be a thing of the past when we got a dishwasher...how wrong I was). When I ask, I get huffy sighs, or a very teenage-like 'fiiiiine'. If the bin is spilling over on to the floor, you have got to realise it needs emptying right? .... right?#44
My SO and I both have full time jobs. I often work 12:00-22:00 but he works morning to early afternoon. Often when I get home from work I've got the most amazing dinner and a hot bath waiting for me. When we get random days off together we go mountain biking, or swimming, or stargazing. It's so comforting having someone like that there for you. We've been together for three years now :)#45
When he takes dirty dishes off the table, he carries them to the sink one by one. However, if we go to the supermarket and bring home 3 boxes of baby diapers and 5 bags of groceries, he will carry them all at once even if he breaks his back.#46
They love using my beauty supplies. Body scrubs, lotions, facial masks, anti-aging cream all tend to be popular items.
Image credits: pm_me_ur_kittenz_plz