Hello, question asker! I'm Jiang 61.
I'm happy I could answer your question. You asked, "He's been making me angry lately, and it seems like our relationship is ending...what should I do?" After reading your introduction carefully, I understand your feelings and want to discuss your problems with you.
1. Introduction
1. The situation is as follows:
You say, "I'm 29, and my boyfriend is 27. I'm studying for a postgraduate degree and haven't decided what to do after graduation, but I don't think it will be a problem finding a job that pays a decent wage. My boyfriend is in the military and has been in for eight years, so his job is stable. My family's situation is slightly better than his, and we don't have as much pressure to provide for our old age. We're both in a relationship with the intention of getting married."
Work
You're 29 and have a graduate degree. You haven't found a job yet, but you can easily get one that pays well. It might not be super stable, though. Your boyfriend's in the military and has been in the army for eight years. He's got a stable job.
Family situation:
Your family situation is a bit better than his. His family lives in the countryside, his parents are still alive, and he has a younger sister.
At some point, you'll both have to think about how you'll support your parents in their old age. You'll feel less pressure about that.
You've been together for five months and you're both looking to get married.
2⃣️, Conflicts
"Our recent conflict is:"
"1⃣️I'm not happy with his family's younger sister, who is pretty ignorant, and the fact that he treats her like a daughter and supports her financially in every way."
"2⃣️His parents, who were born in the countryside, have traditional values and don't earn much, so they always put the pressure on him. They were also unhappy with my job and height, and when they knew we had been dating for five months, they introduced my boyfriend to someone else. If my boyfriend hadn't lied, they would have kept pushing, and because of the delay in the relationship, he was forced to go.
Financial support
You're not happy with your boyfriend's younger sister. You say she's ignorant, but the reason is that your boyfriend treats her like a daughter and supports her financially in every way.
The boyfriend's family
The boyfriend's family is putting a lot of pressure on him to support them financially. His parents are also unhappy about your job and height, so they're still introducing him to other people, even though they know you're already in a relationship.
When the pressure is on, the boyfriend caves.
3⃣️, Confused
"Because of his job and family, I've become insecure. I've been angry at him because he's insensitive and doesn't know how to comfort me. It often makes me angry again before I can let it go, and then we get stuck in a vicious cycle. I've also talked to him, and he said he understood and would go solve the problem. But I still feel sad all the time. After this incident, he gave me an 888 red envelope for the New Year. Later, when we had a fight, he said angrily that the red envelope was given in vain, and I angrily gave it back to him and he accepted it (although he later gave it back). Now I don't know what to do... I feel that his attitude has also changed recently. I've always been in the background of his circle of friends, but several times it has been replaced by others. Anyway, his recent behavior always makes me feel very angry, which also annoys him."
It seems like if I don't make a fuss, things will eventually calm down. But I'm still feeling pretty emotional, and I'm not sure what to do. Should I break up with my boyfriend for a while to give us both some space?
"
You're angry with your boyfriend for his actions, and he knows that what he did was inappropriate. He apologizes by transferring money to you. However, your boyfriend is rather dull and often does things that you find intolerable. As a result, you often have unpleasant arguments.
You're upset with your boyfriend for what he did, and he knows it was wrong. He apologized by sending you money. But your boyfriend is kind of boring and often does things you don't like.
As a result, you often have arguments that are unpleasant for both of you.
I'm a bit confused.
You feel like if you don't argue with your boyfriend, nothing will change, but you feel bad inside. You're not sure how to solve your problems or how to handle the conflicts that arise between you.
2. What's causing the confusion?
1⃣️, unclear sense of boundaries
A sense of boundaries is about knowing where you end and others begin.
A sense of boundaries means that in relationships with other people, you know what you're responsible for and what you're allowed to do. You protect your personal space from being invaded and you don't invade other people's personal space.
It seems like there's some confusion about boundaries.
From what you said in your introduction, it seems like your boyfriend's family members are stuck in traditional ways of thinking. This has led to them getting involved in their kids' marriages in a way that's not helpful. This has made it harder for you and your boyfriend to connect.
2⃣️, unclear roles
Family Roles
Family roles are about the specific identities of family members. They represent the functions they should perform in the family, reflecting their relative positions and relationships with other members.
Role confusion
Another issue you're facing is that the roles in your boyfriend's family are sometimes unclear. For instance, the financial responsibilities of your younger sister and her parents are now falling on your boyfriend, which is confusing for you.
3. Poor communication
Communication
Communication is the process of sharing information in a two-way flow between people through different media. This helps us understand each other better and work towards specific goals.
There's room for improvement in the communication department.
In terms of communication, you and your boyfriend have different personalities, cultural backgrounds, and ways of thinking as a result of being male and female, as well as different focuses and upbringings. This has caused you to be angry with your husband's behavior and mannerisms because you don't understand them, and your husband is also sad because he doesn't understand your inner thoughts. You haven't formed a good communication channel.
3. What to do
1. Effective communication
Effective communication
Communication is basically the exchange of information. It's about conveying a message to someone and hoping they'll respond as you expect. If you get a positive response, you've got effective communication.
Communication includes both verbal and non-verbal messages, with the non-verbal part often being more important than the verbal part. Effective communication is really important when it comes to relationships with other people, whether that's family, friends or even colleagues.
Here are the steps to effective communication:
There are four steps to effective communication:
The first step is to express your feelings, not your emotions.
Step 2: Speak up about what you want, not what you don't want. Let them know you're angry, not just that you're angry.
Step 3: Speak up about what you need, not just about what you don't like.
Step 4: Share your goals, not your complaints. Focus on the end result, not the current situation.
In a relationship, it's important to understand each other, communicate well, and build a strong connection. We'll have lots of thoughts during our interactions that we need to share.
Effective communication is a great way to improve understanding, reach agreements, and coordinate relationships.
2. Set some boundaries.
And set some boundaries.
When we're all together, it's important to set clear boundaries and make sure everyone is taking responsibility for their own duties. That way, we don't end up depriving anyone of their responsibilities and rights.
So that everyone has a clear sense of who they are and what they're responsible for.
Help others grow and develop.
The brother might think it's his job to help his sister with the family finances. But that's not love, it's harm.
If the younger sister becomes too reliant on her family financially, she may start to expect things without working for them. She may also lose the ability to appreciate what she has.
When we're facing problems in a boyfriend's family, we can help him see that this isn't love and it's not good for his younger sister. We can let his brother tell his sister to understand and appreciate his hard work, to be grateful, and to take care of her own affairs and strive for them herself. Then she'll appreciate what she has.
3⃣️, Know your responsibilities
It's important to distinguish responsibilities.
We help parents take back responsibility for their kids. Parents are the ones who should be in charge of their younger sister. If the older brother gets in the way of parents doing their job, it will make it harder for parents to understand and educate their kids, and it will delay their ability to do so.
Free yourself up to do your best work.
We make sure we know what we're responsible for and what we shouldn't be taking on. We're brave enough to say no to things that aren't our responsibility, and we free ourselves from them.
Live your life with ease and joy.
Questioner, you and your boyfriend talked about boundaries and responsibilities, and perhaps your boyfriend couldn't accept them all, which made things difficult. We can let go of our emotions and discuss it with him using effective communication.
Keep your cool and don't accuse. Your boyfriend will see that you're thinking from his perspective and that you're looking out for his family.
It's a challenging situation, but it'll be worth it in the long run if you're patient and take things one step at a time. He'll come around.
I wish the original poster all the best for the future!
Comments
I can totally relate to feeling overwhelmed with all the pressures you're facing. It's hard when your future plans are uncertain and there's so much emotional weight from both sides of the family. I think it's important to have open conversations about what you both need and perhaps even seek some professional advice to navigate these complex issues.
It sounds like you're carrying a lot of emotional baggage, and it's understandable that you feel insecure given the circumstances. Sometimes stepping back for a short period can help clear your head and give you both space to reflect on what really matters in the relationship. Communication is key, but it also has to be at the right time and in the right way.
The situation with his family and sister must be incredibly frustrating for you. It seems like your boyfriend wants to help but may not know how to address your concerns effectively. Maybe discussing boundaries with him could help, so he can set clearer limits with his family while still supporting them.
You've been through a lot together, and it's evident that you care deeply about each other. However, the constant cycle of arguments and unresolved feelings is exhausting. Perhaps finding a neutral mediator, like a counselor, could provide a safe space to express your feelings and work towards solutions as a team.
I admire your willingness to stick it out and try to resolve things, but it's also crucial to take care of yourself. If you're feeling constantly upset and the relationship is taking a toll on your wellbeing, it might be worth considering a break to reassess everything. This doesn't mean giving up, just giving yourselves some breathing room.