Oh no, the worst thing that could happen is your boyfriend treating you like a friend, why are you in a relationship if you will be treated like one of the guys? Is this a bromance? I sure hope not. Lucky for you you are not the first woman to say “My boyfriend treats me like one of the guys” There have been millions of women in your shoes and there will be millions after you, it is common to feel like you and your boyfriend are friends, especially after dating for a while its the dread relationship plateau and can be awkward.
We have surefire solutions that will have your boyfriend looking at you all goo-goo-gaga, but first, look at the reasons why he treats you like a friend so that you can avoid all of this in the future.
14 Reasons why your boyfriend treats you like a friend
Your boyfriend treats you like a friend because your relationship has fallen into a routine, both of you no longer do all the sweet and romantic things that you used to do for each other such as dressing sexy, being generous, making an effort with each other and there is a lack of intimacy.
You hardly go on dates
Your days consist of getting home from work or school and putting on your PJs and spending the whole night watching reruns of the bachelor and 90 days fiance. You cannot be bothered with going on a date. God forbid he suggests a romantic candlelight dinner near the beach, that sounds too exhausting for you, he loves fun dates to go on but no, you never want to go out, and even when you do go out is like going on a date with a friend.
You never dress sexy
Darling the fun thing about having a boyfriend is dressing and feeling sexy, it’s what makes him think of you when he is at work or out with the boys and can’t wait to see you, but alas, he treats you like a friend because in his eyes you don’t put in the effort you have become comfortable. Maybe you are saying to yourself “ My boyfriend wants me to dress sexier but will that get him to stop treating me like a friend?”There is only one way to find out.
You never call him sweet names
My darling, my muffin cakes, and my sweetheart are all the cute names that you should be calling your boyfriend, but you don’t maybe you have never had to do it but pet names are part of what makes any relationship fun.
You have become too masculine
Maybe at the beginning of the relationship you used to take care of your appearance and you used to look feminine, fast forward a few years down the line and you have become like Chuck the construction worker who only wears pants and long-sleeved shirts and cut his hair short.
There is a difference between men and women and femininity plays a role, there is something about a woman who looks and smells sweet, something that differentiates men and women, you might have lost that soft touch and became too comfortable turning the relationship into a friendship.
You are hardly intimate
Not having intimacy in a relationship can kill the spark not completely but if your relationship has no kissing, no hugging, or no teasing this can cause a rift. This doesn’t mean that your relationship won’t last or even lead to the altar but if there is no intimacy now imagine married life without intimacy, If you are in this position he might have long ago stopped seeing you as a girlfriend and more of a buddy.
You go dutch
Men love to feel like they are contributing something to a relationship even if that something is money, maybe the two of you always pay an equal amount for dates or you are the one who always pays for dates, it’s easy to see why he would feel like this is not a relationship and more like a friendship with a girl who has money and doesn’t mind paying for everything.
You handle everything
Sometimes you need to act like you have no idea how to do something even if you do and even if you know that you can do it better, men love to be needed and wanted and you handling everything on your own makes him feel like there is no room for him to flex, to feel like a boyfriend.
You live like roommates
Splitting everything in half, taking care not to get in each other’s way, watching television in separate bedrooms, and reminding each other when the rent is due. If this is you, no wonder he treats you like a friend because you are living like roommates.
You are not open with each other
When you are angry you keep quiet, when he is angry he keeps quiet, when you are sad you keep quiet and when he is sad he keeps quiet, can you see where I am going with this? You can be close to your boyfriend and still be angry at him. Keeping the lines of communication open is what builds that connection otherwise you will both end up feeling like friends.
You have one foot in and one foot out
He is not sure of your commitment, heck you might not even be sure of his commitment, nothing has been sealed, the relationship has no direction and he might be scared to fully commit because he is not sure if you are on the same page.
You never acknowledge him in public
This might not be entirely your fault showing affection like hugging and kissing is not for everyone, and I mean imagine walking at the mall kissing. Strangers would look at you not that it matters but it can be intimidating to show your partner affection in public, maybe this is you, you might treat him like a friend in front of your close friends, and you never touch him or kiss him a slight peak on the cheek.
You make decisions on your own
Being an independent woman is all fine and dandy, I mean women throughout history have fought for this generation to be financially independent women and that’s great. However having a boyfriend going around telling everyone “I don’t need a man in my life” sends him mixed signals, it’s like he is not wanted or needed. He knows that he is dating an independent woman but leaving him out of some decision-making can make him feel left out.
You have never introduced him to your family
Now, you never introduce a man to your family until you have checked a few boxes, but if you have been dating him for a few years and you still have not said anything about him, he may think that you are not serious.
He doesn’t care
We are not dealing with a toddler, we are talking about an adult who knows right from wrong. Your boyfriend might be aware of what he is doing and is doing it for several reasons, the most likely one is that he could be cheating.
14 Things you must do when your boyfriend treats you like a friend
When your boyfriend treats you like a friend you must look at the relationship in its entirety to see where it went wrong, open the lines of communication, and get back to doing romantic things, doing date nights, dressing sexy, and calling him by cute pet names.
Go on date nights
Remember that cozy restaurant the two of you used to visit when you first started dating? It’s time to go back to that place and remember how lovely it was to fall in love. Go back to basics and think of dates to go on with your boyfriend. The internet is your best friend so Google something like “cute dates to go on”, “different types of dates to go on” or “cool dates to go on”
Get the spark back in the relationship
It’s time for sex darling so think of date ideas to rekindle romance, at some point, you have to get that bedroom mojo back but if you have not been intimate for a long time it can feel scary. Don’t jump in bed with him just yet, ease your way back into your wonderful sex life by sending him flirty messages and telling him how much you want him, and ask him what he would like you to do to him.
Do this and you will go from saying” My boyfriend treats me like a friend, not a girlfriend” to saying “ My boyfriend treats me like a princess and he cannot keep his hands off me”.
Think of sweet names to call him
You don’t have to go overboard and call him your forever sweet lovely potato, there are plenty of pet names for guys and I am sure you can come up with cute names for your boyfriend.
Don’t offload too much
Sometimes we women can talk a lot, and at the same time say a whole lot of nothing, try cutting back on spending 2 hours talking about how much money your best friend spent on the new Fashion Nova dress or how much you hate your hairstyle sometimes silence is golden or he might think you make everything about yourself.
Let others know that you love him
It’s time for a big family and friend barbeque where you invite all your friends and family to meet him, if this scares you then don’t pick a random day and make it about him, pick a day like your birthday that way he won’t feel like all the attention is on him.
Ask him what the problem is
If he doesn’t open up then it’s time to turn into a detective in CSI New York and find your evidence. If he is cheating you need to save yourself the pain and heartache of working on a relationship that has no future.
Show interest
Ask him how his day went even if you know he has the same day doing the same thing and nothing changes. Showing interest is a good way to open up and change the dynamics. But you might be asking yourself “How can I show my boyfriend that I love him?”, listening is a good step.
Change your appearance
There is nothing like a makeover to change the mood. This is the perfect way to also increase your self-confidence. Look at your body type and see what outfits are trending. Where what feels comfortable but also sends a signal that you are his girlfriend and not his friend.
Let him handle the bill
Darling save your money and let him feel wanted, loved, and needed by letting him handle the bill, don’t go Dutch, all the time.
Make him feel wanted
I’m not saying act like Rapunzel and wait for him to save you, no, don’t do that, you can think of something that you can do but you know that he can also do it and ask him to fix it for you even if you know how to fix it better than he does, just to boost his ego there is no harm.
Book a vacation
Paris is the city of love or maybe Italy, ah it reminds me of that Julia Roberts movie called Eat, pray, love the scenery was romantic, so peaceful, and just right for love.
Remind him of your commitment
Maybe he has been feeling insecure about the relationship, remind him of how committed you are to the future and how much he is the only man for you, if he has any doubts that he needs to voice his opinions.
Don’t get too comfortable
There’s a famous saying that goes something like “Nothing grows when you are in your comfort zone” This doesn’t only apply to your ambitions but also applies to your relationship, don’t let yourself go, and being too comfortable keeps things alive but do all of this for yourself not him.
Get a third opinion
If your mind is stuck on “I no longer want to be intimate with my partner” there might be an underlying issue that you have not dealt with and should he still treat you like a friend even after doing everything in your power to turn things around getting an outside opinion might give you a new perspective on things.
Why does my boyfriend feel more like a friend?
Your boyfriend treats you like a friend because the spark in your relationship has faded. This happens for many reasons. Issues such as lack of intimacy, stress, and being too comfortable can make your relationship feel like a friendship.
To wrap it up
A relationship block such as this one is a problem that many women globally face, and plenty of women have written to us with the same “he talks to me like a friend” problem, but it always sorts itself out when you work on implementing the solutions.