My new GF is marking her territory!

Dear Armchair Psychologist, I have a question for you regarding conventional behavior between a guy and a girl who are dating. I’ve been dating a girl for five months now. Things are going very well. There is, however, one thing that bothers me a bit. My girlfriend has a habit of leaving various things at my apartment. I live in a relatively small one bedroom with minimal storage space. She likes to leave shoes, clothes, and recently her tampons at my place. Would I be unreasonable if I asked her to stop doing this? Or should I just chill out a bit and not say anything? Thanks for your advice. -Frustrated Non-Menstruater

Hi Frustrated Non-Menstruater, it’s unfortunate that your small quarters have been compromised. It can be a tough conversation to have with a new love, which explains your hesitation. Your GF may be strewing her dresses and personal hygiene products around a) out of convenience, as she may spend a lot of time at your apt or b) because she is marking her territory i.e. you belong to her! Here’s a great suggestion to find out which it is: give her a small box and two hangers in your closet and gently tell her it’s a way for her to have some convenience and organization. If the behavior continues and you find her bra dangling from your flat screen TV and a hairbrush on your kitchen counter, she’s probably marking her territory. Now let’s talk about you- are you upset because you literally don’t have enough space for her things or is this a restriction on your freedom and you feel that your independence is being curtailed? If you don’t mind being claimed so overtly, tell your GF to put a sign on you door saying MY BF LIVES HERE and she won’t have to leave her stuff around. My guess is that it’s your independence you’re concerned about and in that case you need to figure out why you are in a relationship and what you want out of it.