“My Boyfriend Is Always Late Because He’s Running Errands For His Mother”

From the forums:

I don’t think you’re necessarily selfish here; it’s probably a wise thing to consider what is a very likely situation should you and your boyfriend continue to get more serious: His mother is going to be part of the deal, and can you handle that? Can you handle the care-giving that will be involved and the decision-making around her care? This care will likely affect the amount of privacy you have with your boyfriend, the amount of time and attention he can give you and your relationship (and, potentially, even future kids should you have them together), and maybe even your finances should you combine them, eventually, and need to help pay for care of your boyfriend’s mom. But, look, depending on how serious you are, these issues may be pretty far off in the future. Good to consider now and maybe even start discussing with your boyfriend but perhaps not time to really obsess over yet or think about ending your relationship over.

I’ll share my experience in case it’s helpful to you. When I met my now-husband, his father was already well into his 80s (he was 50 when my husband was born, so was always an “older” dad). He lived independently, but Drew, who lived about a mile away, visited at least weekly, and called him every day. As the years progressed, his father’s health declined and his needs increased, which affected us in all the ways I mentioned earlier. It was stressful at times. His father never lived with us, but there was still a juggling of his needs and our own needs and wants, especially as newlyweds and then as brand new parents. Drew was such an attentive son and, like you, I really admired that in him. It gave me faith that he would be an attentive husband and father. And guess what? He is! More than I even imagined. We are so lucky to have him.

Drew’s father passed away a few years ago – at 95! – and I don’t regret for a minute the time we spent with him, the time Drew was away during the week to be with his dad, or any of the decisions that were made around his care. It was a gift to have him in our lives, for him to meet his grandchildren, and for me to see Drew’s heart and his commitment to family in a way I might not have been able to see if the situation had been different. It gave me a lot of confidence in marrying him. I know, without any shadow of a doubt because I’ve seen it firsthand, that Drew is the kind of guy who will be there through thick and thin, through sickness and health. He’ll be there AND he’ll still fulfill his other obligations.

If you feel like your boyfriend is there for his mother but not there for you or not fulfilling his other obligations, then that’s something worth being concerned about and talking to him about. If he’s canceling on you all the time or is often late, it sounds like he needs to work on time management. What kind of errands is he running for his mother that can’t be done before he’s supposed to meet up with you? Are these emergencies? If not, why is he letting them affect his time with you? Are there things he’s doing for his mother that can be outsourced sometimes (like grocery delivery, medication delivery, etc.), if not just done at a more convenient time? These are the topics that are relevant to you NOW – as opposed to the idea of his mother living with you in your early years of marriage. Creating some boundaries now around these things is the first step toward addressing concerns that might come later, as your relationship intensifies.

Let your boyfriend know how far your patience and understanding goes. Instead of always saying – even if it’s just to yourself – that “you don’t mind,” when you clearly DO mind, be honest. Tell your boyfriend that you are understanding when his mother’s needs trump a date night or occasionally mean he’ll be late to meet you, but your understanding has a limit and that limit is when your boyfriend is late ALL THE TIME or constantly canceling dates. That’s not fair to you and it needs to change. Let him know that’s your hard boundary. If he’s a decent person, which his care of his mom would indicate he likely is, he’ll want to be a good boyfriend in addition to a great son. Let him know how he can do that – where there’s some room for improvement. If he’s not able to meet your needs now in a way that satisfies you, THEN it’s time to think about moving on. But moving on now because you’re worried that his mother might live with you one day? I think that would be a premature move.

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