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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Slow fade or life stresses - advice to approach this

25 replies

Hottimesahead · 28/09/2022 10:31

Been dating my boyfriend for 6 months. At the start he was overly keen. Always made time for me and he was the one doing the chasing - said I love you first. I had my guard up as wasn’t too sure he was love bombing me, but his actions always followed his words. I slowly let him in and he was great up till week before holiday.

We live 40 mins drive from each other and busy jobs, where we both work long hours. I can work flexibility and adjust my hours which I do. Him not so much flexibility. But we made it work and saw each other 3 times a week or more. He would stay over on consecutive days etc. I have a busy social life which I don’t want to lose, where he doesn’t. He makes little plans with friends except football.

I live in a small 1 bedroom flat in the city, him in a 2 bedroom large house in the country. His house is better to chill in, but less options for food and going out. He has the choice to work in an office in my city and used to do that when we planned to met during the week.

Recently he is making less effort. We are now down to seeing each other 1/2 times a week, but he has cancelled plans during the week last minute stating too busy. His texts are less frequent and more business like - not asking how I am and how my day is. But he always tells me about his stressful day. . Although always on Facebook. He can go hours in the evening without replying. I have called him, but he is not a big chatter on the phone. He is always on his phone when with me playing a game. He assumes we will spend every week together unless we have plans. So no forward planning.

He has started a big work project and is getting stressed and tired. This is why there is a reduction in seeing each other. I get life gets busy, but I am under the same stress and can still make plans.

this evening he was suppose to come to mine as arranged to work in my city. Now said I am best coming to his as he is too busy to travel as working till 6pm. That’s my normal finish time, so I now am expected to travel to him. This has annoyed me as I have basically read it as saying he is too busy to make time to see me. He will be available if I travel to him.

I asked him a few weeks if everything was ok with us. He said he misses me and loves me, just really busy with work and stress. Asked him what can I do to support and he said just be there. Work Does seem to be his life and it’s not healthy. He does lots of on call when he doesn’t need too and works when he is finished.

how do I approach this again without sounding needy? I know life gets in the way and the excitement of the start of a new relationship dies down. Or is this a slow fade? Past anxieties of previous relationships playing in here.

I am not happy and nearly ready to walk. But out time together is good. my gut says it’s his stress, but my head says get out. They normally match. It’s just the lack of communication and expectations that I will travel when apart that is annoying me.

OP posts:
NevieSticks · 28/09/2022 10:38

It sounds like you are an option.

Sunnytwobridges · 28/09/2022 11:10

I start acting like your dp whenever I start losing interest in someone. I make less of an effort, I just coast along as I’m not too bothered anymore

Mamato3boysand2dogs · 28/09/2022 11:18

6 months in.... should still be lots of effort.... he doesn't seem bothered, I'd be gone.

Hottimesahead · 28/09/2022 11:21

@NevieSticks yip I feel like it

@Sunnytwobridges wish I could. It’s the old story of someone losing interest so you get more interested.

@Mamato3boysand2dogs that’s what I think. Building up to more time. Not too sure if he is comfortable so no effort. Asked him if bothered and says he is.

OP posts:
sleepymum50 · 28/09/2022 11:32

I’d pull back a bit, so say no to going to his this time. Remind him you don’t finish til 6 as well.

He may just be being lazy because he thinks he’s got you hooked, and like many men is changing the relationship dynamics to suit him more. Even if he is genuinely busy and tired this is telling you how he thinks you must be the one at his beck and call. If the relationship has legs then now is a good time for you to assert some power back.

If this is a fade then pulling back will let it run it’s natural course a bit quicker.

Obviously, you can just end it, if it’s no longer working for you.

Hottimesahead · 28/09/2022 11:44

@sleepymum50 he seems to have gotten us in a routine of set days. I am happy to travel to work from his but he is not happy to travel from mine. Just means getting up earlier.

said I would come tonight, but he has to come to mine at weekend. He is making plans in the future which is confusing me. Why make plans and book time away and spend money if not that bothered

OP posts:
Watchthesunrise · 28/09/2022 11:48

He does like you by the sounds of it. Just getting lazy and into a routine. It sounds like easing off on the number of times you see each other per week suits both of you, so why stress about it?

Hottimesahead · 28/09/2022 11:53

@Watchthesunrise i hope so. I do miss him. Think I am grumpy and annoyed as I can’t see him often. Think he is lazy. Made big effort before and now none.

OP posts:
mrsjohnnylawrence · 28/09/2022 11:57

What you do is pull back yourself. Not in a nasty way but just because you are also busy. Just give less effort politely.

What this will do is one of two things:

It will trail off, which it was possibly going to do anyway

OR

He will realise he's about to lose you and come back in with the effort.

But pushing him will push him away, that's one thing that's 100%.

Hottimesahead · 28/09/2022 12:39

@mrsjohnnylawrence i did that last week. He said he was going to decide after work if he was coming round as so busy with work. I told him to cancel as I will go see friends who asked me out as not waiting about and missing out on dinner. Suddenly free the next night.

OP posts:
mrsjohnnylawrence · 28/09/2022 12:45

Hottimesahead · 28/09/2022 12:39

@mrsjohnnylawrence i did that last week. He said he was going to decide after work if he was coming round as so busy with work. I told him to cancel as I will go see friends who asked me out as not waiting about and missing out on dinner. Suddenly free the next night.

There you go then!
But don't let him do things like that. Next time he asks you you should say you're busy, you've made other plans.

Under no circumstances be vengeful, just be cheerful and say you've made lots of plans and can't really see him until next week.

How you do this is super important. If you do it properly, in a way that says to him 'I'm genuinely busy, I also genuinely like you but won't sit around waiting for you' then he should come crawling back IF he is in any way thinking of being serious about you.

However if you show him his pulling back is upsetting you it will only say to him 'this is all an act to get you interested' which is the same as saying 'I'm desperate for your attention'

Hottimesahead · 28/09/2022 12:52

@mrsjohnnylawrence i am trying not to sound desperate. I do need to speak to him as I don’t think playing games. But I need to phrase it in a way that is kind but also assertive. I can be direct sometimes.

I did accuse him (Mostly joking) of him only in it for the sex few weeks back. He told me to behave and no. He can be a bit overly affectionate there. We had had sex 3 times that weekend.

my friends are saying it’s his stresses and fact I practically called him a sex pest of why he is pulling back and it’s his way of not being overly keen

OP posts:
mrsjohnnylawrence · 28/09/2022 13:07

Okay, well if you don't want to do what I've said then just be completely straight with him and literally say that to him; Look, I like you, and I want this to go somewhere, but I need this level of contact with the person I'm going to have a future with, are you able to give me that or shall we move on from one another?

It's great you don't want to play games, but courtship is kind of a game, it's one of the games in life we all play and there's biological reasons why we inherently play these "games".

But sure you can be direct. I didn't realise that was an option otherwise I'd assume you'd just have done it.

If you're upset or angry don't speak to him then, be calm about it and just lay your cards on the table. Tell him you can go your separate ways and no hard feelings but just be clear about what you need from him and offer him the chance to give that to you, or move on.

Bookworm20 · 28/09/2022 13:18

He is always on his phone when with me playing a game.

Completely aside from everything else, this is pretty rude.

It sounds like he isn't that bothered to be honest. you've had some good advice about pulling back yourself, but politely and see what he does with that. You don't sound like a huge priority to him though.

Hottimesahead · 28/09/2022 14:33

@Bookworm20 yeah I don’t feel it. I just need to be strong to pull back. The more he is quiet the more I try and be present. Maybe space is needed. I just need to be strong.

I am fine is we make plans. But it’s the uncertainty that annoys me.

as others say - absence may make the heart grow fonder or make us realise we have had our time.

OP posts:
Watchkeys · 28/09/2022 14:40

If your gut was genuinely telling you he was just busy and stressed, you wouldn't be posting.

Stop denying your gut feeling.

category12 · 28/09/2022 14:42

I'd say, make equivalent effort.

Sounds like he's got complacent/lazy, as he did suddenly up his game when you went and did your own thing.

So if he cba to travel to you at least half the time, I'd back off from going to his. He's not valuing your time.

Pineappleskies · 28/09/2022 14:56

Sorry to hear this. It's stressful.

I know a guy doing this at the moment...very similar situation and behaviour.

In his case, he has eye on someone else, but isn't sure where he stands with this new woman. He plans to reassure her that the woman hrs been seeing is casual and they've fizzled out.

But if the new woman won't have him, he'll keep seeing the first woman until someone he likes more comes along.

How shitty!

I'm not saying of course this is the case but I would say don't underestimate the ability of some people to keep you dangling.

If you're not getting ENOUGH then I don't think that will change on a permanent basis.

I'm sorry.

Hottimesahead · 28/09/2022 14:59

I am seeing him tonight. So may bring it up lightly to gauge. It’s the future planning that is confusing me. Why want to book things in advance and spend lots of money if not interested.

holiday few weeks back was ok. He followed my lead and it wasn’t his cup of tea. I just turn up in a city and go with the flow. He is a planner - he couldn’t relax not using a plan.

OP posts:
Hottimesahead · 28/09/2022 15:02

@Pineappleskies i don’t think he is doing that. I am not concerned with that. My friends are on dating sites so hopefully he would be found out.

but you never know.

OP posts:
billy1966 · 28/09/2022 15:12

Bookworm20 · 28/09/2022 13:18

He is always on his phone when with me playing a game.

Completely aside from everything else, this is pretty rude.

It sounds like he isn't that bothered to be honest. you've had some good advice about pulling back yourself, but politely and see what he does with that. You don't sound like a huge priority to him though.

Agree.

But at 6 months he should be very keen and he's not.

Actions not words.

In your place I would pul back and start detaching.

You are going to get hurt here.

He's either lazy, less interested or looking about himself.

Either way, not good.

He's showing you who he is.

When men are into you, you know it.
No confusion!

Hottimesahead · 28/09/2022 15:22

@billy1966 but when we are in person his action do speak. He is affectionate and kind. Phone is annoying but when he is not on it and we are out he is great. I feel loved.

apart - he is not as attentive. It started when he became stressed at work. He didn’t sleep for a week or so and had horrible heartburn. This played on his mind and was in bed early.

this is confusing me

OP posts:
Watchkeys · 28/09/2022 16:16

But if somebody isn't attentive because of work/stress, or if they're not attentive because they're not so interested, they are less attentive.

This is how his life is. Unless he's saying to you 'I don't think I can keep this job and still give as much to our relationship, so I'm quitting my job', then you have to decide whether you like his diminished attentiveness or not.

Hottimesahead · 29/09/2022 09:20

Update: at his now. Spent the night. We had a chat and I told him I felt he was pulling away. He said he wasn’t and was just really stressed and busy so shits down. Said I wasn’t too keen on the timetable of set days. he thought as I was so busy I preferred it. We both have big projects at work coming up and have to travel for them - so it’s going yi be difficult to meet lots.

I mentioned the not travelling text. He said he meant not getting stuck in traffic on way to work as there are major road works and it’s taken him 3x as long.

think it’s out in the open and we didn’t communicate well. let’s see if anything changes.

OP posts:
sleepymum50 · 29/09/2022 10:13

Some people like to commit to lots of plans ahead of time, and some people don’t. They like to see how they feel nearer the time.

Some people hate others who are vague about times and places, and hate the phrase “I might pop round”.

Perhaps this is why you feel a miscommunication if you have different styles. We all tend to think that people think like us.

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