Pattern of arguments 1 year into living together 28F/31M

My boyfriend (31M) and I (28F) have been together two years and living together for one. A few months ago we started having arguments about once or twice week, usually triggered by similar issues. Typically these arguments occur early in the morning before work or revolve around household expectations/responsibilities. We never fight over anything serious and always apologize afterwards. We are generally happy and in love and enjoy living together but these arguments tend to be explosive in the moment.
My boyfriend has a lot of trauma from his childhood and was not prepared for adulthood in the same ways I was. I am his first serious relationship and the first woman he has lived with. He does not handle criticism or addressing issues well and instead he perceives it as “nagging” or “being controlled”. A simple comment or conversation can turn into conflict. Even if try to be as neutral or positive as possible when addressing something he gets upset.
I’m trying to be mindful about how I communicate but if it is something I’ve already communicated multiple times I do start to get agitated.
I don’t know what to do other than just going silent.. which is basically what he expressed he needed me to do. I fear if this pattern isn’t resolved it will ruin our relationship over time.
What is the best way to navigate this?