Want to see how well you and your partner work together? Or figure out how compatible you really are? Here are some simple relationship tests I’ve encountered along the way.
1. Go To IKEA Together
On a Saturday or on a holiday weekend. Make sure to pick up a bookshelf as well. While you are halfway through the shopping area where there is no cell reception make sure to disappear from your spouse announcing you have to go to the bathroom and leave them with the cart full of stuff. This makes it nearly impossible and highly frustrating to find the other in the masses. If you survive the crowds, chaos and agreeing on not breaking the bank after going to IKEA then kudos to you both. Next, how about loading the car up if you have a lot of stuff? Once, we bought too much stuff for our tiny car and long story short we had a broken seat belt that we had to cut up in order to fit everything in. Plus I got to sit in the backseat all the way home. I was also super nice about it all but then again we only had been married for two months at that point.
2. Assemble Something From IKEA
Usually, from my experience, one person usually just makes things worse and frustrates the other person then everyone is as mad or sad as the instruction guy in the instruction manual from IKEA. It’s even better if someone accidentally breaks a key piece to test everyone’s good graces.
3. Go Kayaking Together
The first time my husband and I canoed he actually sat in the front. I actually was really mad because I thought I was going to have to do all the work and then we would probably argue about how the other one was rowing. Then I realized I had the upper hand. Instead of trying to canoe the perfect way, I watched his strokes and matched them and if I didn’t feel like rowing, he didn’t notice because he was in the front. Crisis averted and we were still able to canoe efficiently enough. Although, a secondary test to this one is agreeing on the right methods of getting out of a canoe or kayak especially when someone is stuck in the back since it can be wobbly. You wouldn’t want to accidentally dump your partner into the murky river on a cold spring day now, would you?
4. Put Up A Tent Together
Fourth, assemble a tent together. Especially a brand new one that happens to be missing pieces or one that is just very complicated. It’s hard sometimes to agree on who gets to put the poles in while the other reads instructions. And it’s especially awesome when you have pieces missing and you don’t realize it because you didn’t go over the parts inventory in the instructions and then you both start yelling at each other for hiding pieces when in reality the manufacturer didn’t include the pole connectors. But that’s a whole other test…
5. Paint A Room Together
First, you have to agree on an actual paint color and get supplies. Some people need months to mull this over and samples to buy and paint on the wall and have their friends vote on what color looks best. Forget it. Go to Home Depot fifteen minutes before closing and pick a paint color. I’m just kidding. That would be no fun at all and I know from experience. Next, you have to agree on what supplies you need. Some people are the non-risk takers and don’t use any floor covering or even use tape for the ceiling part where you have to cut in. Also, you have to guess how much tape you will actually need. So it’s a huge bonus if you can make it through phase one of painting without any yelling. Next, you’ve got to get the room prepped then decide who gets to be the roller and who gets to do the tedious work of cutting in. Lots of decisions to be made AND this is a key moment to discover how messy your partner actually is.
What are some simple relationship tests you have encountered?
