u/AdhesivenessOk6163

I love my husband, but I’m tired of dragging him through adulthood

I’m starting to feel more like a mom than a wife, and I don’t know how to stop resenting it.

One example: for the past couple years, my husband and I have talked nonstop about upgrading our careers. He needs to update his portfolio, and I need to study more for technical interviews. We even made a plan to study together for 1 hour every day and set weekly goals.

The problem is that if I don’t initiate everything, it just doesn’t happen.

After work, I’m tired too, but I still try to push myself because I want us both to improve and then relax together afterward. But I always have to be the one to remind him, gather him, motivate him, check in on goals, etc. If I don’t, he’ll usually just play video games instead.

I’ve communicated this very clearly multiple times. He agrees with me, says he wants to change, gets motivated for maybe a day… and then it goes right back to the same thing.

What’s exhausting isn’t even the studying itself…. it’s feeling like I’m responsible for managing another adult’s motivation and future. It makes me feel like a parent instead of a partner.

Has anyone dealt with this dynamic before? How do you tell the difference between someone struggling with motivation vs. someone who simply won’t take responsibility for themselves? It’s exhausting!

reddit.com
u/AdhesivenessOk6163 — 6 days ago

I have a friend who loves giving gifts, and she’s really thoughtful about it. Whenever she gives me something, I make a point to open it in front of her because I enjoy sharing that moment and showing appreciation.

A couple of months ago, for her birthday, I gave her a bag with a few things she had mentioned before wanting or being curious about..

But I’ve noticed that when I give her gifts, she doesn’t open them in front of me. She usually takes them home and later sends a text saying she liked them (sometimes mentioning one item specifically).

It made me realize I don’t know what the “norm” is here. I personally like seeing the reaction in the moment, but I also don’t want to impose that expectation if it’s not standard etiquette.

Is it generally considered polite to open gifts in front of the giver, or is it just personal preference? And would it be rude to mention that I enjoy seeing her reaction?

reddit.com
u/AdhesivenessOk6163 — 21 days ago