Hey everyone.

So my boyfriend of 5 months just dumped me over a phone call (though we lived a 10 min walk away). He reasoned that I was asking too much because I asked if he could take me out on dates. The way I worded it was I was unhappy for the past few weeks because I needed dates to form a bond with someone (could be going on a walk to going ice skating). He told me he had spoilt me in this relationship as he would buy me gifts I love and listen to me or help me a bit when sick. These gifts were like plushies and books. Now the thing is, I did exactly the same for him. I would buy him plushies, candles, and rings and I had made a DIY box of letters for him to open at uni, or little self-care boxes filled with shower gels or masks or t-shirts, etc, or buy him flowers. I made his birthday cake and planned out all of valentines day and his bday and made him breakfast in bed. I always come to his house and I would listen when he needed advice on uni, or care for him when he was sick. I had explained to him about 3 times that dates were special to me and I would go out of my way for an hour every few days to think of ideas and put them in some popsicle stick jar. All I wanted was for him to ASK me if we could go out. He promised he would plan an at home date but then didn’t do it and we stayed playing video games, so I began to cry and walked home because I felt awful from that as I just felt like he wanted me to act like his mother or to just do sexual things. He once told me we wouldn’t last at uni if we didn’t have sex but then decided he was missing out on the bits I did give him. (Which is why I feel bad for needing dates because I’m scared I left him feeling unacknowledged for gifts and listening) I feel bad for making him think his best wasn’t good enough – but to me, if you are dating….you should go on dates?

Our communication was bad because it was hard over text and so I would always try and ask him whether he could explain his feelings or if he wanted space but he would never take the bone.

I understand it wouldn’t have felt nice to be told you weren’t doing something I needed (because no dates esp when we could only see each other once a week makes me feel no connection) but I tried to do better for him when I had done something wrong, and I don’t feel like asking for dates that could even be free was too bad of me. Especially when I gave the same energy or more back. It would’ve been fine if he couldn’t do this because everyone has different needs in a relationship but I can’t tell if I was wrong or if the way he handled this breakup was immature. 

I just feel like when he did something wrong I’d give him a chance, but because I upset him here he just gave up with no bother to try and fix the fact that we had been arguing daily for two weeks and I was trying my best to figure out how to get past it. but he claimed me saying I was unhappy and needed dates for a relationship to last was out of order to say.

Did I ask for too much? I feel it is ok to have different needs but I do not feel like I was spoilt because he listened to me or comforted me (e.g my grandad died so he came over to hug me) or because he bought me lots of gifts, because I did the same if not more.

1 comment
  1. I don’t think you asked for too much. I think you just wanted a relationship where you express love for each other through gifts and quality time, you wanted to feel his love through him making the effort to organize dates, which is not excessive at all.

    It just sounds like he was not ready to give you that. You guys were just not compatible. You didn’t ruin the relationship, you just wanted a level of dedication that is normal in committed relationship and he wasn’t ready to out in as much efforts.

    But don’t lower your standards in the future. It’s okay to want emotional intimacy and dates in a relationship!

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