I met this guy (32M) on a dating app. we have been dating for 3 months, we are exclusive but don’t have a label yet.
Our values and preferences align (kids, family, lifestyle, finances, sex) and we both have hobbies we are passionate about (jiu jitsu and me dance). We get along so well and have such good time together and respect one another. I will preface this by saying he is a wonderful guy, he does his best to make me feel comfortable, he listens to me, cooks for me, we workout together, we support one another, the sex is phenomenal.
However certain minor things have been really frustrating me about him.
He is an infrequent communicator when we are not together. We see each other 2-3 days a week. He doesn’t see a point to respond back to me if it’s not “making plans.” There are even a handful of times when we are trying to plan something and he doesn’t respond for a day (I have to call him and reach out everytime). It is starting to feel one sided in this sense. I have voiced this to him once (calmly) and he responded positively to it. He admits he hates texting and uses it for “utilitarian” purposes only. So I suggested phone calls/face times instead. He picks up my calls every time but I am tired of being the one following up for plans. To make it more frustrating, he is always on his phone for work and scrolling.
The last thing is he has to be told what to do almost all the time, when it comes to cleaning and being a bit more considerate.
On our first date I noticed his car was pretty dirty. It just felt gross that he would pick me up in a dirty car for our first date. like caked dirt, old coins and receipts, I finally told him to get it detailed.
He still had a bunch of pictures of his ex on his phone when he was trying to show me family pictures. they just popped up and it was so awkward. He said he planned on deleting them but got lazy.
He speaks locker room talk to me like i am a dude. uses the word “dicking around”, calls me “motherfucker (joking around), sometimes he overshares about his past, after i told him numerous times he doesn’t have to tell me everything.
I saw tampons in his trash can (from his ex, they used to live together, and no he isn’t cheating on me) they were clearly old.
Instead of taking out the trash he just left it in the bathroom…. until i had to take it out.
He left bloody snot on his shower wall. After telling him to clean it up (calmly) he scrubbed it.
he recently started making it a habit to wash his bedsheets, clean his room and bathroom everytime i come over. (small victory)
how do i approach the rest of the problem in a way that is constructive? i am already frustrated with this… its like one small thing after another that snowballs into something big.
Comments
It’s not your job to make him a functioning adult. Don’t waste your time trying to improve someone, you’re just making him a better boyfriend for the next woman who rolls along.
He is 32 tell him to grow up and get his shit together or to pay a cleaning lady if he isn’t willing to clean up after himself like an adult
Some aspects of that sound like a mother telling her son how to be an adult.
Unless your man is super attentive to what you are saying and you notice him making an effort, he isn’t going to change.
How can you be exclusive but not have a status after three months?