Basic Living Skills for Small Group Settings

Roommate Agreement

• When moving into a new place with other people, it's a good idea to create a roommate agreement. This essentially lays down the laws for the home. How do you plan to play rent and bills? Do you allow visitors to come over? Are there "quiet times" where no loud music or TV can be played? Are pets allowed? Is smoking allowed in the home? Confronting possible issues before they arise will not only decrease the likelihood of them arising but will also make it easier to discuss the issues and follow through on the house rules if a situation should arise.

Clean Up After Yourself

• Very few arguments spring up between roommates because their place is too clean. Get in the habit of cleaning up after yourself, especially in places where other roommates spend time. Put away dirty dishes and clothes. Put movies and DVDs back in their cases and back in the shelf or drawer they belong. Put food away. If you have your own room, you can probably get away with it being messy and it won't bother your roommates, unless odd smells or other things that affect the entire apartment or house are coming from your room.

Dole Out Responsibilities

• Resentment can occur if a roommate feels he is doing more work than the other roommates in maintaining the home. When making the roommate agreement, dole out responsibilities. Someone needs to clean the kitchen, living room, bathroom and other public spaces in the home and get groceries and other essential items that everyone uses. Also, it's good for roommates to be open to taking on additional tasks or sharing in tasks. For example, one roommate could wash the dishes on Monday and another could wash them on Tuesday.

Communicate

• It's important to communicate with your roommates. This can include saying things like, "I think you're spending too much time in the bathroom. It's making me late for work" or asking questions such as, "Have I been playing my music too loud?" Also consider having a weekly meeting where the roommates can discuss any issues involving the home or perhaps plan fun activities for the coming week.