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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2019 11:13:48 GMT
How do secures deal with escalating commitment in relationships?
My partner and I are discussing meeting his parents for the first time, and we've been together about 3-4 months now. The opportunity came up because they're visiting town and staying for a prolonged period of time. It hasn't been a straightforward discussion and I think there're unspoken insecurities that are interfering with our ability to have honest conversations about what it means and how to approach meeting parents.
So am wondering, anyone got advice on how secures navigate escalating the commitment in a relationship or these perceived milestones?
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Post by alexandra on Jun 26, 2019 14:46:15 GMT
@shiningstar, milestones aren't a big deal, at least not in a stressful way. Unless there's some logistic issues involved (ie, can't agree on neighborhood for where to move in together, but the tension isn't about moving in itself).
For insecures, there may be one of two issues going on, or actually both. One, someone is insecure with how they feel about themselves/the relationship due to attachment issues. Two, someone is fine with the relationship and partner, but insecure with how they feel about themselves/their parents... they get much more triggered by and around their family than normal, and it causes all sorts of issues.
Are you having these issues communicating with any relationship progress or does it seem to revolve around meeting family specifically?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2019 4:22:15 GMT
@shiningstar , milestones aren't a big deal, at least not in a stressful way. Unless there's some logistic issues involved (ie, can't agree on neighborhood for where to move in together, but the tension isn't about moving in itself). For insecures, there may be one of two issues going on, or actually both. One, someone is insecure with how they feel about themselves/the relationship due to attachment issues. Two, someone is fine with the relationship and partner, but insecure with how they feel about themselves/their parents... they get much more triggered by and around their family than normal, and it causes all sorts of issues. Are you having these issues communicating with any relationship progress or does it seem to revolve around meeting family specifically? yea, i'm Asian, so maybe meeting the family is considered A Big Deal? I always took it as it is a big deal, but now I'm not sure either. I think meeting family sparked the need for a conversation about relationship progress, and that has not been conducted well and clearly thus far imo. Meeting the family itself is not a big issue, more about what does it mean for us. I think he's trying not to make it a big deal, and I'm abit confused as to why I have to meet them if it didn't mean very much for the relationship. No answer to that though, so it's all been confusing to me. If there's something confusing/I feel confused, I'm pretty sure there's something we're not talking about or some insecurity going on there, but I don't know what it is yet, and am not sure how to have a conversation around it if I don't know what "it" is.
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Post by anne12 on Jun 27, 2019 6:42:03 GMT
Why do YOU think IT is a big deal ? What is IT That You want him to say ?
When a relationship develops natuarally and You are around 3 months in Up to 1 year IT is only natural that a healthy partner wants you to meet their friends and family. They are even visiting town!
I would Be more concerned if my partner wouldent let me meet his family and friends.
Be something cultural maybe.
I do not remember your own and your partners attatchment style.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2019 10:14:16 GMT
Why do YOU think IT is a big deal ? What is IT That You want him to say ? When a relationship develops natuarally and You are around 3 months in Up to 1 year IT is only natural that a healthy partner wants you to meet their friends and family. They are even visiting town! I would Be more concerned if my partner wouldent let me meet his family and friends. Be something cultural maybe. I do not remember your own and your partners attatchment style. mm, I think there's a cultural narrative that meeting parents usually mean that we're moving towards marriage. People don't really meet parents and an introduction is usually rather formalized. I think I would have liked him to say, yes I want you to meet my parents because I would like to formalize and cement our relationship as I am serious and committed to you. yes, he introduces me to family and friends, and I've always gone along with it. I don't even know what my style is, but I came on the boards as an AP (triggered AP in serious committed relationships where i see marriage) but feel like I have DA in me with most other people. he seems to be an ex-DA.
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Post by anne12 on Jun 27, 2019 10:52:16 GMT
But You are still in the honeymoon fase ? Where do You live and where does your boyfriend come from ?
Yes sounds like cultural differences and some insecure attatchment patterns going on maybe.
Maybe You can try to relax and enjoy the ride for a while ? Lean back into your chair and ovserve how the parents talk to your boyfriend, how they talk to eachother how your boyfriend talks to his parents, and how they talk to you ect ?
A partners parents can tell You a Lot about your partner.
If You are nerveus You can try to do some of the Selfregulation exercises. And maybe talk to your boyfriend? So That He can help You when You are Meeting his parents.
Also for men IT can take 1-2 years to commit while women wants to commit after 3 months.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2019 11:04:30 GMT
But You are still in the honeymoon fase. Where do You live and where does your boyfriend come from ? Yes sounds like cultural differences and some insecure attatchment patterns going on maybe. Maybe You can try to relax and enjoy the ride for a while ? Meeting a partners parents can tell You a Lot about your partner. If You are nerveus You can try to do some of the Selfregulation exercises. And maybe talk to your boyfriend? So That He can help You when You are Meeting his parents. In New Zealand and we're both from Malaysia. Yea, trying to relax and enjoy it, as well as have a discussion around why this seems to be a difficult thing to discuss for us. everything else so far has been easy to broach, even if they are difficult topics. I'll meet them if the discussion arises again, and take the opportunity to get to know them as well. Thanks!
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Post by alexandra on Jun 27, 2019 14:31:25 GMT
In New Zealand and we're both from Malaysia. Yea, trying to relax and enjoy it, as well as have a discussion around why this seems to be a difficult thing to discuss for us. everything else so far has been easy to broach, even if they are difficult topics. I'll meet them if the discussion arises again, and take the opportunity to get to know them as well. Thanks! I don't introduce partners to my parents unless it's serious enough to warrant my effort in fielding more questions from my parents about the person over time, but meeting my parents in itself isn't a big deal or indicating I'm decided about getting married etc. I'll have probably told my parents early on that the person exists if I've been consistently seeing them. If my parents made a big deal about expectations, then I probably wouldn't want to introduce someone unless I was sure they'd stick around, but culturally-speaking they're interested but not trying to dictate my life or that meeting someone I'm with HAS TO MEAN x, y, z. Your description sounds like you've got two things going on. You want more solid definition in the trajectory of the relationship, but you're afraid if you bring it up and state your intentions, he'll give you an answer you don't want. And for you, it's possible that culturally-speaking, meeting your parents means something it may not necessarily mean for him, and maybe he doesn't even realize that. (Though, it still means something, most people don't just introduce partners to parents casually.) Can you tell him you're excited to meet his family but it's a big deal for you because your family places a certain type of expectation on such meetings even if you yourself do not have those expectations (assuming you actually don't quite yet), so you want to make sure you know how to approach this to not be too nervous because you care to make a good impression? I'd keep in mind that if he's been DA, even if he's healed his attachment wounds, it came from somewhere, and his parents may be dismissive with him and don't easily give him their approval. If that's the case, be empathetic to him, but stand your ground about communicating once you calmly figure out what you want to say. If this is more about, how serious are we and where are we going in this relationship? And less about family... you can tell him how you feel and what you want at any time, with no expectation or pressure on him, and let him respond and step up to meet you, or not. But if it's only been 3 months, I'd say you don't know each other that well yet and if he's still moving things forward and generally wants commitment in his life, ie things are escalating at a pace you desire, then keep getting to know him and gauging your own compatibility and feelings for a while. That's the point of dating. Asking him to be sure things are moving towards marriage after 3 months is a lot in my culture, which isn't the same as yours. But making sure he's serious enough that marriage in whatever time frame you're looking for isn't OFF the table because YOU are dating with that goal (if you haven't already communicated that) also seems reasonable.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2019 2:09:13 GMT
In New Zealand and we're both from Malaysia. Yea, trying to relax and enjoy it, as well as have a discussion around why this seems to be a difficult thing to discuss for us. everything else so far has been easy to broach, even if they are difficult topics. I'll meet them if the discussion arises again, and take the opportunity to get to know them as well. Thanks! I don't introduce partners to my parents unless it's serious enough to warrant my effort in fielding more questions from my parents about the person over time, but meeting my parents in itself isn't a big deal or indicating I'm decided about getting married etc. I'll have probably told my parents early on that the person exists if I've been consistently seeing them. If my parents made a big deal about expectations, then I probably wouldn't want to introduce someone unless I was sure they'd stick around, but culturally-speaking they're interested but not trying to dictate my life or that meeting someone I'm with HAS TO MEAN x, y, z. Your description sounds like you've got two things going on. You want more solid definition in the trajectory of the relationship, but you're afraid if you bring it up and state your intentions, he'll give you an answer you don't want. And for you, it's possible that culturally-speaking, meeting your parents means something it may not necessarily mean for him, and maybe he doesn't even realize that. (Though, it still means something, most people don't just introduce partners to parents casually.) Can you tell him you're excited to meet his family but it's a big deal for you because your family places a certain type of expectation on such meetings even if you yourself do not have those expectations (assuming you actually don't quite yet), so you want to make sure you know how to approach this to not be too nervous because you care to make a good impression? I'd keep in mind that if he's been DA, even if he's healed his attachment wounds, it came from somewhere, and his parents may be dismissive with him and don't easily give him their approval. If that's the case, be empathetic to him, but stand your ground about communicating once you calmly figure out what you want to say. If this is more about, how serious are we and where are we going in this relationship? And less about family... you can tell him how you feel and what you want at any time, with no expectation or pressure on him, and let him respond and step up to meet you, or not. But if it's only been 3 months, I'd say you don't know each other that well yet and if he's still moving things forward and generally wants commitment in his life, ie things are escalating at a pace you desire, then keep getting to know him and gauging your own compatibility and feelings for a while. That's the point of dating. Asking him to be sure things are moving towards marriage after 3 months is a lot in my culture, which isn't the same as yours. But making sure he's serious enough that marriage in whatever time frame you're looking for isn't OFF the table because YOU are dating with that goal (if you haven't already communicated that) also seems reasonable. Thanks alexandra, you're right on several points. I think we're on the same page that we're looking at something serious for long run, and that we're both comfortable about what we have so far, so much so that it's public knowledge now, even with our parents, colleagues, and friends. He's expressed his commitment explicitly by reinforcing that he's chosen to be with me and only with me, and he was the one who first initiated being in an exclusive committed relationship. I was very wary of that and I made it clear I thought we were moving too fast at the beginning. It might be, on his side, that he's concerned about me thinking we're going too fast! We've talked about how serious are we and where we're going in this relationship, and I think that conversation has been less than clear/explicit because we're right now in the dating phase of ensuring compatibility. It cannot be clear because it's now the time to figure that out. We're sure that we wanted to get together, we're not sure if we want to stay together and/or take the emotional plunge into falling in love and so on. Marriage is on the cards - I've made it clear that that is what I want and it's a dealbreaker if that's not on his cards. He's on board with that, and I think dating with that in mind as well. So my sense is that the insecurity/issue is not stemming from poor communication nor from uncertainty about commitment in general nor misalignment in desires, but a new question of ensuring longer term compatibility, life stability in general (work and life issues), and just seeing if emotionally it'll deepen - all of which then ultimately determines if we should get married. I think that's a new phase in our relationship that we've just started, and time will tell. Meeting the parents is the event that triggered awareness of these questions, I think. Meeting the parents itself is not that big a deal, but I think more in terms of if and what it signifies and the kind of expectations we both have around it. That's not something that we've discussed well yet, probably because that's a lot of new questions to think about that we haven't done before.
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