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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Am I asking too much in early stages of relationship?

88 replies

Matissevangogh · 18/04/2024 23:31

Dating a new guy - it’s only been a couple of months. He has been single for a while and has built himself a very rich and full life of hobbies and friends to occupy himself otherwise, I suppose. He’s very extroverted and really throws himself into whatever he gives his time and attention to - he has multiple sporting hobbies, he dedicates a lot of time and attention to his job, and has a huge network of friends and acquaintances that he regularly meets for coffees, dinners, drinks etc. He’s currently learning a language and is also on a training course to volunteer for a charity. If a colleague at work is upset or needs help, he’ll take hours out of his day to assist or support. He also has issues sleeping, so needs more sleep than I do. He also usually goes to bed fairly early (but also wakes up much earlier than I do - I’m a night owl whilst he’s a lark).

Here’s my issue - his life is so rich and full that I don’t really feel like my needs regarding attention, texts/calls and time spent together are not being met. From the minute he wakes up, he’s go go go. He doesn’t check his phone at work very much, and if he does it will only be for a couple of minutes, so his texts during the day are fleeting and short. I am fairly understanding about this. However, after work (he leaves at 6/7pm), he’ll usually be off doing some activity or meeting some friend and again, I don’t really get any satisfactory responses to my texts (in fact I feel like he doesn’t read them properly and just skims through them half the time). When we speak on the phone, it’s usually as he’s walking to/from one destination to another (eg from work to an activity; from a hobby to home); or if he is at home, I can tell I’m on speakerphone whilst he cooks/brushes his teeth/showers. I just never feel like he has time for me to give me the kind of depth of attention and time that I want to feel secure in the relationship. I continuously question how interested he is in me as a result.

When we see each other in person, he does dedicate his full time and attention to me, and I don’t question whether he’s interested in me. I feel like his main priority. However, our opportunities for seeing each other in person are also limited. He asked very early on that we avoid meeting on weeknights because our sleeping habits are so misaligned that I would deprive him of sleep and he’d be exhausted for the rest of the week. This is not untrue, but I can cope with the lack of sleep - he can’t. So I feel like I have been relegated to just seeing him on weekends, but this feels unsustainable, as if either one of us has to miss a weekend due to other plans, we go weeks without seeing each other.

Is this a compatibility issue, or am I being unreasonable in my requests for time and attention, in the sense of expecting somebody to give up or deprioritise other activities and things to make a significant amount of time for me?

OP posts:
Janpoppy · 19/04/2024 02:01

It sounds like you are simply incompatible.

A useful adage in dating is 'start as you mean to go on'.

It doesn't sound like this is starting in a way that will be sustainable for you. A better fit for you is someone who wants to prioritise more time for their partner and is more focused on building a romantic relationship/partnership, and that is absolutely fine. Don't waste time trying to make yourself fit in with someone who is basically incompatible.

If you end things in a mature way and remain friends he may be a good person to socialise with, as with his broad network of acquaintances he may be able to introduce you to someone else you are more compatible with!

Appleblum · 19/04/2024 02:07

Someone like him probably sees a girlfriend as someone who adds to his life. Whereas you seem to view his hobbies and friends as placeholders in his life before he couples up.

Nothing wrong with either point of view, I think you're simply incompatible.

LifeExperience · 19/04/2024 02:54

You are not compatible. It's nobody's fault, but he is not willing to put a lot of time into a relationship and you want/need more time and attention than he can offer. He won't change. Move on.

ChellyT · 19/04/2024 03:00

Matissevangogh · 18/04/2024 23:53

Also just to clarify - I have never asked him to make time for me or give up things for me, and haven’t yet complained to him about feeling like we have different expectations around how much time we spend together and how much we communicate when we’re not together.

If he invites me to spend time with him, I willingly give up my own pre-arranged plans to make the time to accompany him - and I don’t feel like he does the same in return, which I guess is why I’m left questioning his interest.

I have offered to accompany him to his various sporting matches or partake in other activities/hobbies that he participates in as a way of spending time with him, even though they’re not really my thing. But I don’t feel like he offers to do the same for me. I love going to galleries and museums - which he also claims to love, and was one of the things we initially bonded over - but he never really offers to do these things with me, or seemingly has an excuse to hand if I invite him along to an exhibition I want to go to.

I’d much prefer to bond by conversation than an activity - I’d much rather have a quiet evening in cooking a nice meal, chatting over a glass of wine.. but he sees this downtime as an opportunity to sleep or watch a film (in which we don’t talk).

He's been single for a while and has built a life with lots of friends and interests to give him variety. Give him time to adjust to sharing more of his time/life with you.

Honestly most men I meet in person/online have nothing going on and these men are looking for a woman to organise their social lives... I bore of these men quite quickly

YoureALizardHarry11 · 19/04/2024 03:14

I don’t think you’re compatible. No point trying to ask him to give up his life for you. If he’s really that busy then you don’t fit into his life anywhere. I’d call it off to be honest while it’s still early as it seems he has got to used to his freedom if he’s been single a long time and is possibly a bit avoidant. If he was really into it, he’d make time, and he’d want you to be happy.

YoureALizardHarry11 · 19/04/2024 03:20

Appleblum · 19/04/2024 02:07

Someone like him probably sees a girlfriend as someone who adds to his life. Whereas you seem to view his hobbies and friends as placeholders in his life before he couples up.

Nothing wrong with either point of view, I think you're simply incompatible.

Where does she even have chance to ‘add’ anything in this scenario, though? He’s busy 24/7. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having other things going on, the OP shouldn’t want him to have nothing but her, but equally, this is the early stages where they should be getting to know each other and enjoying each others company, not grabbing 5 mins on speakerphone. You can’t connect deeply enough that way. If he was ready for a relationship, he’d be wanting to spend time together and meet OP in the middle

Farahfawsett · 19/04/2024 03:29

Please don't give up elements of your life to mould yourself around his.

Accept that you both have different things going on and there's simply not the compatible amounts of time to build a relationship together.

This one isn't for you.

LBFseBrom · 19/04/2024 03:37

You've only being keeping company for a couple of months. He is how he is; you are part of his life and no doubt he values that but, at the moment, it isn't anything too serious. That seems fair enough to me, better than jumping in at the deep end too early. You are good friends and too much intensity could spoil that.

Perhaps you need to step back a bit and have a life of your own apart from this guy. See your friends, don't be averse to having dinner with another man if occasion arises, enjoy your freedom. Stop texting him, be a bit more casual and see how it goes.

commonsense12 · 19/04/2024 03:44

Matissevangogh · 19/04/2024 00:25

I’d just like to be clear that I’m not trying to change him or expect him to change. None of my messages have asked for advice on asking him to change. All of my messages so far have been around trying to understand if my own mindset, expectations and behaviour are unreasonable, and if so, better understanding how and why, and changing my frame of mind so that I can reduce my own expectations and slot into his lifestyle more easily and peacefully.

@Theorangejuice - I guess I give up my plans because if I don’t, I’ll spend even less time with him than we already spend together. This time is not made up for in phone calls or other forms of communication, so I just won’t see him or speak to him otherwise.

I suppose the problem is that if I took that same approach to dating, and prioritised my own plans at times when he was available, we’d barely see each other at all.

Are you comfortable cancelling your plans if he doesn't do the same for you?

If so, why?

OlympicProcrastinator · 19/04/2024 04:29

You are way overthinking this. It’s simple. He’s just not that into you. Men who are really into a woman make them a priority and include them in their busy lives.

You are flogging a dead horse OP.

LeafLead · 19/04/2024 04:29

He's showing you who he is - believe him.

I don't really like phrases like commitmentphobe or emotionally unavailable as everyone is different - but it does sound a bit like he's using these activities to keep you at arms length.

I assume you're both childfree?

I had a bit of a vibe/chemistry with someone from year before last.

We sort of wavered on arranging something, after we finished work project, I very lightly brought up the option and he was quite vague, kind of wanted to hang out in a group.

So winter 2023 and spring 2024 was nothing.

We eventually met at his suggestion, and he did go all ultra keen/trying to build a connection but tbh I was well emotionally done.

Honestly, it had been really hurtful seeing on Twitter him having time for random social drinks with that or that other person or playing white knight and problem solving for someone he barely knew, but (allegedly) no time to get to know me 1-1.

Whether or not he was correct to do so is irrelevant and of course it's his life - but it didn't suit me and I felt like shit.

Like pps say it's a really bad social and time investment to have to be forced to start hanging around a guy's groups and hobbies just to get to know him.

grinandslothit · 19/04/2024 04:34

What do you actually do when you meet up together? Does he take you out? Or is he just showing up or you showing up at his to watch TV and have sex?

NeverEnoughPants · 19/04/2024 05:11

Honestly, I think it's way too early to be giving up regular activities etc in order to see each other more. A lot of people just see each other at weekends, and not even every weekend - that's just life.

If it's not enough for you, then you would not be unreasonable to end it. You have different expectations. But I do think it would be unreasonable to ask him to change his life for someone he hardly knows.

Bewareofthisonetoo · 19/04/2024 05:16

I had one like this-lovely guy but he just piled on more and more activities and interests and I was just one of those, not a priority.

CrispieCake · 19/04/2024 05:27

He sounds a bit selfish. Don't invest more in him than he's willing to invest in you.

Shoxfordian · 19/04/2024 05:33

Don't cancel your plans for someone who just sees you as an option, you're not his priority. Doesn't sound like you're compatible really

NeverEnoughPants · 19/04/2024 05:35

I'm quite surprised at the number of people on this thread that seem to be willing to drop preexisting plans and commitments for a guy they've only been seeing for two months, tbh. It's way too early to change your life for someone imo.

HazelWicker · 19/04/2024 05:44

I think you're mismatched. He doesn't seem to want a girlfriend to take up much of his life.

I'm in a new relationship (three months) and we talk to each other and see each other all the time. We're not spring chickens, he is 40 and I am 31. Both have professional careers but talk a few times a day on the phone (prefer to have a quick chat than text mainly) and stay over between 2-4 nights a week. He has been really eager to find someone to spend his life with so it's been a top priority for him and whilst he works very hard he's been consciously adjusting his work life balance since I came along. This also wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but for me I am head over heels and having a few weeknights to myself and the working days is perfectly sufficient.

ineedtostopbeingdramaticfirst · 19/04/2024 05:45

Your fitting in to his life he's not fitting into yours. He has a small amount of free time to give you and is not wanting to alter that. He's not looking for a girlfriend or a commitment right now. He's dating you.

It's for you to decide if you are happy to date a few weekends a month or if actually that isn't enough for you. In which case you need to move on.

But don't cancel plans to accommodate him otherwise you will lose your friends and social life.

I'd also think about longevity, you have different sleep patterns, priorities and different hobbies . Aside from getting on and attraction are you compatible long term would you be happy being with someone who has a big social life that you are not a part of?

ChristmasFluff · 19/04/2024 06:45

I am your boyfriend!!

I have given up dating although I enjoy it, as I realised my life is too full for a partner (I'm nearly 60, so no need for one) and I am not willing to compromise. Just as I don't have time for a pony or a high-powered job, I don't have time for a partner.

As he's probably younger, I suspect he would change for someone who knocked him off his feet or was more compatible. So he's not the one for you, and there will be someone out there who is right for you.

MountCaramel · 19/04/2024 06:46

You're not compatible so I'd end it now. You're way too needy and insular for the lifestyle that he leads. A partner should enhance your life, not inhibit it by placing demands & restrictions. You'll be expecting him to prioritise you and drop his hobbies/friends to accommodate your quiet nights in. You're way too incompatible to make this work long term.

2mummies1baby · 19/04/2024 07:02

This seems like an obvious case of incompatibility. End it and find someone who wants the same things from a relationship that you do.

Nicole1111 · 19/04/2024 07:08

Never change your plans to accommodate a man. You are teaching him your commitments aren’t as important and you’re denying him the opportunity to reflect on if he has time for a relationship because you’re preventing him being busy from causing the consequence of him not seeing you. Start prioritising yourself a lot more and see how he reacts to less time together. If he doesn’t reflect and invest what you need then he’s not the one.

LunaTheCat · 19/04/2024 07:14

I am sorry to say but I think you are more committed to this relationship working than he is.
If you fall in love with someone you prioritise them absolutely.. you move heaven and earth to spend time with them.
He is telling you he is.

fieldsofbutterflies · 19/04/2024 07:25

As pretty much everyone else has said - neither of you are wrong, you just have different approaches to relationships.

Saying that, there's no way I'd be cancelling my plans to meet some guy I've only known a couple of months.