So, in many situations, I feel like a mom to my boyfriend, but I don’t know how to stop it and need advice here.
For example:
It is important to wipe the outside of our pot (especially the bottom) because it was written in the instructions, but even more importantly because otherwise our stove discolours the bottom of the pot and it is not easy to wash it off. We both learned that we need to wipe the outside of the pot on the same day and since then I do it, I never forget, but somehow my boyfriend keeps forgetting to do it (maybe 30% of the time) and I have to remind him which at this point (it’s been months) really pisses me off even though it is something supposedly minor.
He also forgets other things: he forgets to wipe the countertop (he forgets maybe 30-40% of the time) and often in this case I have to wipe it after him, it’s been years of me reminding him to do it and it is so frustrating that he still forgets. Meanwhile I always wipe the countertop after myself, he never has to wipe it after me.
Then he also forgets to do some other tasks like vacuuming, he promised to do it some days ago, has it been done? No.
He also promised to throw away dirty dishes which he put a while ago on a shelf (he was lazy to wash them and guests were coming), but he’s not done that and I’ve been asking for a while. And no way, I am doing that because it is too disgusting.
I don’t want to be like a mom to him and remind a grown man to do his part of the chores, but it seems like I don’t have any choice. Without me reminding him – he forgets completely, with me reminding him – there is at least a chance that he will do whatever he forgot to do.
Do you have any advice on how I can stop being a mom to my boyfriend? Am I just making a big deal out of something minor?
TL;DR: I need advice on how to stop being a mom to my boyfriend.
And we’ve been together for 3 years.
Comments
At a point, you have to accept that he is who he is. Things like cleaning the pot and the stove are not important to him, and he knows you will do it. So, he just doesn’t do anything.
You’ve told him and given him chances, and he hasn’t changed. Why? Because he doesn’t want to. So, you have to decide if you want a future with that guy, given he will not change, and you will always be his mom.