Communication Problems • lion679 • 2d ago

My boyfriend refuses to stay over at my house, and it led to a disagreement between us.

I'm seeking some advice regarding a disagreement I had with my boyfriend (21M) this past weekend. We've been together for nearly a year and have only gone on two trips together—one of which was paid for by his parents for his birthday. He has also stayed at my house around 3 to 5 times while my parents were away. From the start, it was clear that his parents prefer he doesn't stay over at my house, which I totally respect, especially since they are more traditional. However, they’ve allowed him to stay at my place when my parents are out of town, although he claims it’s reluctantly. Over the last few months, I've brought up the topic of him staying over a couple of times, particularly when it would be more convenient after a night out. Each time, he would either give vague answers like “maybe” or change the subject entirely. About three weeks ago, I asked him if he could stay over for my birthday, as we both had the next day off work. He initially said maybe, but later told me he couldn’t because he had to leave his house by 9:15 AM the next day. This confused me since he lives just a 7-minute drive away. After several excuses, I began feeling frustrated and embarrassed at what felt like me begging for him to stay without getting a clear answer. When my birthday came last weekend, he ultimately chose to go home instead of staying as he had initially mentioned, which left me disappointed since I was looking forward to sharing that day with him. Feeling unsettled, I brought this up later that weekend, expressing that it bothered me he could stay when my parents were away but not when they were home. I just wanted an explanation for his no-shows. I emphasized that I didn’t mind if he didn’t want to stay or if it was due to his parents' wishes, but I needed clarity to stop hoping for something that wouldn’t happen. He reacted by getting annoyed and left shortly after. The next day, we talked, and he mentioned that his mom told him she doesn’t want him staying over when my parents are home. I was fine with that, but it puzzled me why he hadn’t communicated this sooner. He then expressed frustration at how much this seemed to affect me, questioning if he wasn’t good enough and citing other compromises he feels he’s made, like not hanging out with his friends as often, which I took issue with because he still meets them occasionally. He even brought up an unrelated point about wearing matching Christmas pajamas, which felt particularly immature. He argued that since he lives so close, it was easier to go home rather than stay at my place, suggesting he would stay if he lived further away. This upset me because it felt like he was prioritizing convenience over wanting to be with me. During the conversation, I mentioned it could be perceived negatively if he only stayed over when my parents were away, which I regretted saying and apologized for because it wasn’t about him, but rather about how others might view the situation. He didn’t take that well and responded, “if I just wanted sex, I could get it anywhere.” At one point, he made an immature remark, indicating he wouldn’t stay the next time my parents were gone, which I decided to just drop. Ultimately, I ended up apologizing for bringing up my feelings, feeling like I was overreacting, and since then, I’ve been relatively quiet. I feel ashamed and embarrassed about how my concerns were dismissed. All I wanted was for him to understand why this issue was significant to me, and perhaps express that he would like to stay too if his parents were more comfortable. Instead, I felt shut down and even more upset than before.


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