How to navigate dating while living with your parents

According to new research, 70% of adults in Ireland find it more difficult to date when living at home with parents or roommates.

The research, which was carried out by women-first dating app Bumble, found that almost a third of respondents (30%) are currently living at home with their parents, including a quarter (24%) of those aged 24 – 35.

The findings illustrate the impact of the housing crisis on Irish daters.

Dr. Caroline West, Bumble’s Sex and Relationships expert, has shared her top tips on navigating dating when living with parents or in shared accommodation.

Take a look:

• Negotiate some time by yourself in your house – whether that means doing the dishes for a week or something similar. This gives you time to plan a date with your partner, and your housemates might just be happy with taking turns to give each other some private time in the house. If you are living with your parents, offer to pay for a meal out for them. This will also help you build a good relationship with your parents too as they get to spend quality time together.
• Intimacy doesn’t always have to mean sex. Explore physical intimacy through holding hands on a walk along the beach, plan a picnic and talk about what you want from relationships, or go to an outdoor yoga class and feel the endorphins together. This helps you lay a good foundation if and when things turn a bit more serious and physical intimacy is on the cards.

• If you are going to move in together perhaps sooner than you would normally like due to the housing crisis, talk to your partner about what living together will look like, and what you would like to see for the future of the relationship. If you’re not on the same page now, it’s best to know this before committing to a lease.
• Dating can be expensive, but finding free things to do in your city will not only help your wallet, but help your dating life too. Original dates will make you stand out more than someone who just wants to go to the pub, and sober dating allows people to really get to know each other.

• There are no rules about who has to pay for dates in 2023: Talk with each other and come up with solutions that fit your principles and budgets. Compromise is key in a healthy relationship, so sharing costs in ways that work for you is part of a sustainable relationship.
• Set boundaries platonically too: Talk to your friends about how you want things to play out when you introduce a new partner, and ask them to respect your new relationship.