couples

The 12 challenges that prove your relationship is indestructible.

Image via Channel 10.

So things are progressing well in your relationship. You’re happy and are thinking quietly to yourself that you may have even found ‘the one’.

But how do you know for sure? While certain tasks and activities can cause arguments here and there, there are also those that have the potential to completely smash your relationship to smithereens (We’re looking at you, IKEA and your tricky furniture).

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We’ve rounded up the 12 challenges that will test even the strongest relationship. If you’ve survived these, congratulations, you can survive anything.

1. Getting through a road trip

In pop culture, road trips are romantic, free-spirited adventures. In reality? They’re a long time spent crammed in a small space with limited leg room. If you can manage several hours confined in a car together, agree on a musical playlist, and don’t want to kill each other by the end of it, you’re on the right track.

2. Choosing, buying and building a piece of Ikea furniture

The phrase “Ikea meltdown” wasn’t coined for nothing. Perhaps the ultimate test of any relationship, Ikea causes so many problems that some relationship counsellors even incorporate a trip to the flatpack furniture megastore as a communication exercise.

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With confusing and limited instructions, and always, always a few inexplicable pieces left over, any underlying concerns or problems with your relationship will emerge. So if you manage to complete the puzzle and still want to snuggle in bed together after, HOLD THEM TIGHT. (Post continues after gallery.)

3. Camping

For most of us, camping is testing at the best of times. You’re living under a glorified canvas gazebo in the middle of the great outdoors, far away from the home comforts of wifi and Netflix.

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Ridiculously loud snoring, an inability to put up the tent and and daggy Bear Grylls jokes all have the potential to cause some serious conflict.

4. Cooking a meal together

There is no room in the kitchen for two head cooks, so preparing a meal together instantly presents a problem for a couple who both like to lead.

If you can work together, avoid criticising your partner about how they're chopping up the onion incorrectly and produce a Masterchef-worthy meal at the end of it, then your relationship is pretty indestructible.

5. Food poisoning

Hopefully not as a result of the food you've produced together, food poisoning is far from a pleasant experience. You look like crap, you feel like crap and to be honest, you've probably got crap coming out of both ends.

If you or your partner can still look each other in the eye and think sexy thoughts after the horror of food poisoning, congratulations - you've found true love.

The calm before the storm.

6. Moving house

The fun and novelty of moving house ends approximately one and a half boxes into packing. There will be arguments over mishandling delicate items, how much stuff you're packing and who gets the majority of space in the walk-in wardrobe. (You, obviously.

Still want to actually live with them after the experience? Lucky you.

Pink summarises being in a long-term relationship like a boss. (Post continues after audio.)

7. Clearing out the garage

"No. You cannot keep the pool cues you "won" in a dodgy pub competition 10 years ago that you have never used since."

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"No. You cannot keep the old controllers from the Nintendo 64 that you no longer own."

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"No. We will NOT have room for your entire collection of life-size Twilight cardboard cut outs."

You get the picture. (Post continues after gallery.)

8. Renovating

It's all fun and games when it's just you collecting inspiration on pinterest, but when it comes to deciding and actually doing the renovations together in real life? It's a whole different ball game.

You've seen the shouting and arguments on those home reno shows - it's probably the only part of "reality" they get right.

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9. Fixing the Wifi

Admitting it was you who knocked it off and accepting responsibility for making the agonising call to get it fixed is A BIG DEAL.

That's a lot of Facebook time lost.

10. Sharing a bathroom

A bathroom is a sacred space - and one that can get gross and dirty very quickly. Sharing one is a balance that is hard to strike.

11. Spending extended time with the parents

Enough said.

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12. Planning a wedding

It's one of the biggest signs of commitment - and arguably the biggest test a relationship can face too. It's stressful, there are a lot of decisions to be made, things to prepare and a lot of people you'll feel like you need to make happy.

If you can survive the debates about who to invite and what napkins to use, you're off to a great start.

Our Editor Edwina recently got married - take a look at some of the pictures from her big day.

What do you think are the biggest challenges in a relationship?