dating

23 Cringeworthy Things Guys Do When They’re Trying To Be Romantic

21.

Insisting on paying for everything and/or trying to take me shopping for clothes or something. I can see how that type of thing might be romantic eventually but it was a new relationship and he wanted to buy me “something nice” to wear and it was just really fucking weird.

22.

This gets more pronounced the older I get (I’m in my mid-40s), but dudes who do routine maintenance for themselves and expect to be praised for it. Doing their own laundry, cleaning their own place, etc. Especially after insisting that we hang out at my place all the time, because his place is too gross. It’s hard work to balance a career and keep a house in good condition–I know, because I do it. Cleaning is a pain. But this is what we do to have nice things, right? I don’t like mopping and vacuuming any more than anyone else, but I do like having a clean, pleasant home. Just like I really like my career and the things I accomplish there, but some of my work duties are boring and tedious. But obviously I do them anyway, because I like my job and it’s in service to a larger goal.

23.

Coming to my bedroom window instead of the goddamned front door. I woke up to a guy I went on a couple dates with on my back porch, leaving me something because I didn’t open the front door. He was peering in on me while I slept. Weirdly enough, he argued with me about it being super not okay and was offended when I said it was creepy.

Written by Laura McNairy

Laura is a freelance writer for TFLN. She likes to write about what she knows best — dating, sex, and being awkward, but usually in the opposite order. She is the Assistant Editor and videographer for Peach Fuzz, a sex-positive nudie magazine in ATX.