Me \[24M\] and my GF \[21F\] have been together for more than 2 years now. The thing is, the relationship is absolutely great on every single level when we’re physically together (which happens for like 3 days every 2 weeks). The ONLY issues that exist in this relationship start existing exclusively when we’re apart, and they are issues only for ME. I need demonstrations of affection and love when we’re apart: I appreciate texting and calling each other frequently. She doesn’t, at all. She’s not a texting person, she sees responding to texts as a chore (I sometimes think with sadness that as her boyfriend she should feel different about my texts and she says thats the case but Idk about that)She usually takes 6/8 hours to reply to my texts, which I found very hard to get used to but I did because I wanted us to compromise, but I draw the line at more than 24 hours to get a reply. I feel dumb and ignored, even when we’re in exams season (she’s very serious about studying but I know her and I know she spends at least 2 hours of the day scrolling tiktok and watching youtube and could use 5 mins of those to text me). I voiced my issues many times (we had like 4 arguments over this spread throughout these 2 years), I asked her to text me AT LEAST once in a day. Even just a text telling me that she’s gonna read and reply to my texts the next day works, too. She says she’s gonna make an effort and then stops after 1 month after the argument. Of course most of the time she replies within those 6/8 hours or maybe even faster, but every 3 months or so there comes a time where she enjoys her alone time more, and periodically fails at respecting my request. Today is like the 12th time in the relationship that she let 24hrs go by and didn’t reply to my texts. I know that 12 days dont seem like much in 2 years but I am not counting those times where she ALMOST breaks the rule replying like 21 hrs later (happens like 5 times a month?), and I think that it is such a simple and easy request to respect and the fact that she doesn’t so easily just baffles me. The relationship is perfect when we’re together in the flesh (cuddles, sex, presents, jokes, emotional support, everything you can think of is great), why can’t she just respect this one super-easy thing for me? I don’t understand but I think I’m fed up. I’m seriously thinking of telling her that if she doesn’t respect that one rule we are done. I feel so dumb and in a weird position because I would be giving up a partner that is otherwise so loving, caring and funny. But seriously why can’t she respect that one thing? Doesnt that speak to a bigger underlying issue of “not caring enough” about me? Am I being childish and unreasonable here?
TL;DR! Relationship with girlfriend absolutely perfect. Except she periodically (like once every 3 months?) doesn’t respect my simple rule of responding to my texts at least within 24 hours or pushes it (replies after 20hrs or so, this happens like 5 times a month). Is it childish to tell her I’m breaking up if she doesn’t put a real effort about this?