Comment on Anon is confused
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 days agoMaybe.
That said, my SO is similar to this. We don’t talk as much as we should, but that seems to be because they got into online gaming with their friends and play during the times we would normally hang out. I’m expected to go out of my way to make up for that, but I don’t need as much emotional contact as they do so I don’t. I’m usually just hanging out on the bed on my own, and I put down my phone, game, book, etc the moment they initiate.
This causes some issues occasionally, but I don’t think I’m the cause here. We have kids, and I end up interacting with them more to make more time for them to play (I make breakfast and get them ready for bed).
That said, I’m trying to be more proactive to help them be more fulfilled. I just wonder if anon is in a similar situation.
_cryptagion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 days ago
This is just my opinion, but I think you probably should have a talk with your SO and make it clear you would like a little more “us” time.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 days ago
It’s more the other way around, they want more “us” time, whereas I’m pretty happy with things as they are. We still go on dates and spend time together on weekends, and I’m pretty tired from working, doing dishes, and taking care of the kids on weekdays (my SO doesn’t work, but does take care of the kids while I’m at work).
I think it’s more of, “I want to do X, Y, and Z, but have to pick two.” They’re already not getting enough sleep (I’ve complained multiple times) because they’re overextending to make remote timezones w/ friends work, and if my SO wants to spend time w/ me, they know where to find me, I’m usually reading on the bed or something. In fact, they frequently text me asking for random things (water, food, etc), and I bring it most of the time, and sometimes hang out for a few min after. It works for me, but apparently they’d prefer that I adapt to their schedule and preferences a bit more (i.e. read in the gaming room or whatever), but when I do, I tend to fall asleep on the couch or something, and they complain about that…
They used to complain that I’m not showing enough love, and then I explained that me not complaining about them spending so much time with their online friends is showing them love, because it’s one of the few times they get to interact with adults who speak the same native language (I don’t speak it well). That seems to have resolved things for now, but I’m still trying to go out of my way to spend a little more time w/ them so they can feel my love in the way they’d prefer.
The root of the problem is that we have very different schedules. Here’s mine:
And their schedule:
We’re both introverts, especially me, and I need time to myself to relax. Being w/ my SO and kids doesn’t exhaust me or anything (much different than friends and coworkers), but it doesn’t really recharge me either. I have about 1-2 hours to myself on any given weeknight, and my SO is usually involved w/ friends by the time I’m available anyway, so I don’t go out of my way to pull them off to hang out together.