I have been with my boyfriend for a little over a year. When we were first dating he instantly didnt like my family... Im not really sure why. He had only met them once and just didnt like them. Despite that, for the past year, he would come to my house and be respectful but it was very clear that he would rather be anywhere other than sitting with my family. My parents and siblings picked up on his weird vibe whenever they were around, and they dont like him. They dont hate him, they just dont understand what his problem with them is. No one has ever been anything but kind and welcoming and respectful to him when he sees them. Either way, he stopped showing up to anything I invited him to, always having an excuse that he was working or busy or was with his family. But he fully expects me to come to any and every family event that is with his family... and I go out of respect for him.
About a month ago, we got in a fight and almost broke up becuase he works so much, we basically spend no time together because of his hours at work, and he doesnt like my family. We talked and he said he would try and be nicer to them, spend more time with me, etc etc I talked to him about Thanksgiving and he said that he would stop by and start making more of an effort to be around my family.
So this week he ran into my father, who invited him over to our house for Thanksgiving. I asked him yesterday if he was going to come and he said that he didnt know. Today he didnt call me or anything, he just texted me in the morning to say Happy Thanksgiving and then late tonight asked me if I wanted to sleepover. I said no. (His family lives in the next town over, literally a 5 minute drive away so its not really an issue about travel etc.)
I need some perspective here... I think he is being disrespectful and inconsiderate of not just me, but my family in general. He doesnt see anything wrong with his behavior at all, in fact he gets defensive and thinks that he is justified in how he acts. I am so hurt. This is someone I have talked about marriage and children with but now Im almost positive that it will never work. Its almost as though he wants nothing to do with my family or me when Im with my family, like we're not good enough for him to be around. This attitude goes beyond my family too, he wont hang out with my friends either and has blatently told me that he doesnt like them.
Am I overreacting or would other people feel the same way? How do I end this? What do I even say? I know I want to break up with him but I dont know how to convey how I feel to him, or if it will even make any difference? Any advice?
S***r
I'd be polite, if I were you (when you break up with him), and tell him that you don't want to continue to date him because when you're married, you want to have an open and friendly relationship with your family, that you always want them to feel welcome in your home - and that you won't be able to achieve those goals if you're married to him. Tell him your family is important to you, you love them, and you're disappointed that he doesn't feel the same way about them (or is even on the path to feeling the same way). Tell him you're sorry he's chosen to alienate himself from your family and exiled himself from your family get togethers - and that's not how you'd like your bf to behave.
Look hon, unless you want a lifetime of stress and tension every time you're invited to do something with your family, you've got to let him go. (And I'm not even going to address that he doesn't spend much time with you, or that he blew you off for Thanksgiving, and then TEXTED you to ask for sex - YUCK!)
He's made it very clear that he thinks very little of your family, and that he believes his treatment of them is completely acceptable. You need to deal with the total jerk that he is - DTMFA.
1You are not overreacting.
Your boyfriend is a control freak, and only wants you on his terms, when, where, and who. It seems like it is always about what he wants, and your needs are coming a distant second. The fact that he wants to sequester you away from friends and family is a big red flag as well....abusers typically start with sh!t like this.
Anyone who truly sees a future with someone makes an effort with her family. I am not getting that your boyfriend is that serious about your relationship. If he is, just realize your relationship will always be about his needs and that you will likely be leading a very lonely, controlled existence with few friends and family left.
I would bail.
2Agreed. In private, I b!tch to my boyfriend about my family and friends all the time, and he shares some of my disdain, but when he's with them he makes top effort to try and get along with them, or at least understand them. It's not out of obligation either and it's completely sincere. Even my brother, whom he HATES, he tries to be civil with in person. And trust me, that kid is the most ill-tempered guy ever, but he loves me. If he can do it so can your guy, but he clearly does not give a crap. I'm really sorry he ruined your Thanksgiving.
Get out, now.
3i personally try to avoid contact with my boyfriends and my family. my sister is fine, but my parents are for my fiance only, which I haven't met yet. that's how I was raised and seeing so many family members and friends get burned I believe it's a right thing to do. My family is coming over for Christmas and I'm not planning on introducing my boyfriend of half a year to them. Too early. But what's done is done. This guy sounds like an utter a**hole. I'm sorry, but this is just unacceptable. Even if he doesn't like them, he would have to at least pretend he does to make you happy and ease the tension. And blowing you off for Thanksgiving? A year is a long enough term and you both should have visited your and his families. You sound very close with your family so there's no way this could work.
4That's your family. He should at the very least care enough about you to respect that and make a conscious effort to try and get along with them.....period. You have absolutely every right to feel the way you do.
My reaction to his uncalled for, rude azz behavior in 4 words
Buh bye control freak........then proceed to show him the door.
And it would certainly not be a great loss either. Way too many red flags popping up here for my comfort.Who the hell would want a creep like that in their life.You can and will do so much better than him. Good Luck to you!
5ITA with jazzy and honey.
6Family for me (and hub) is important and it's important to have a good relationship with each family, and later on when you have children, you hope for a healthy, happy relationship with each other's family so the children can have a good example as they're growing up.
That's just how my family rolls anyway.
I would say he needs to stop being such a snob to your family. Even if he runs in different social circles he needs to grow up and tell himself nothing is going to mean more to you than just a little respect for them. Even if they aren't exciting enough for his big important plans in life he could still stop by for fifteen minutes to say hello. They made you who you are and they deserve just a small gesture of kindness. It's really not realistic to think he can have you and completely ignore them like they don't exist. Life doesn't work that way. This guy is selfish and I would say you need to let him know how you feel. I hope you can work things out and he can learn how act with more class.
7Does he like anyone in your life other than him? No offense, but he seems like a real *sshole. Whether he likes it or not your family is part of the package, and he has to at least pretend he likes them. Cut this guy out, he is a control freak and wants to alienate you from the people that you love and loves you.
8I'm surprised he hasn't started hitting you. typical m.o. to try and alienate you from your family by not liking them.
9GET OUT OF THIS RELATIONSHIP. NEVER CHANGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OR SACRIFICE WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY>> LIKE YOUR FAMILY, FOR SOME JERK OFF! THATS JUST WHAT HE IS
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