People often find themselves in situations where their male partners act like children. This is Peter Pan Syndrome, where men act like they never grew up. Usually, this means that they expect their partners to act like parents. A man child like this is untrustworthy, emotionally immature, and unreliable.
A man child often comes off as sweet, unassuming, or spontaneous. He can appear simple and non-aggressive, which can lure their partners into thinking they are low maintenance at first. Unfortunately, dating a man-child can feel like a chore, as if you’re babysitting. It’s important to look for signs that you may be dating a man-child.
Signs of a man child
1. Unable to clean up after themselves
Signs of clutter aren’t always a sign of a poor personality. However, most people are usually well-mannered when they visit others. But a man child won’t pick up after themselves. When they take off their socks or shoes, they leave them scattered. They never put away any used dishes.
Lifestyle: 8 Ways Clutter Affects Your Mental Health
2. Immaturity
With no sense of responsibility, they prefer to spend all their time and money drinking and partying. A man child will continue to play invasive pranks even after being told to stop. This is because they have no adult sense of boundaries.
3. Inconsistency
A man child is unreliable and always comes up with excuses when they fail to meet their responsibilities. They also act like they’re the victim and never see how they’re the cause of their problems.
4. Time-wasting
A man child is likelier to waste time watching porn, playing video games, and partying it up. Instead of dedicating time to work, recreation with you, relaxing, or even spending healthy time with loved ones, he will spend a whole afternoon smoking weed he bought with your money. For him, productivity is something that other people do to feed their habits. In addition, he will use this to remain distant from you.
5. Unreliability
A man child is emotionally unavailable and won’t show up when you need him. However, they’re manipulative enough to promise anything like taking you to the airport or escorting you to an event. He will let you down at the last minute and won’t see is as a big deal.
6. Too sensitive to criticism
Many people may respond negatively to criticism. It can feel hurtful or attacking, especially when you thought you were doing well. But well-adjusted people usually take the opportunity to learn and do better. If the criticism is unfounded, they respond gracefully. A man child reacts poorly. They get defensive when shown what they’re doing wrong and can even lash out.
7. Unable to handle stress
Healthy adults find manageable ways to cope with stress. Even when overly stressed, a functional adult may polish off a bottle of wine, but when they won’t be a hazard to others. Men with Peter Pan syndrome instead bury their heads in the sand and zone out. They let their coping take over their lives. Additionally, they think their problems are more important than anyone else’s. Their stress should be responded to before others’. They can also lash out and misbehave, using their difficulties as an excuse.
8. They’re not ready for commitment
Many people who aren’t ready for commitment usually don’t pursue relationships. But a man child doesn’t consider the emotional needs of their partner. When most adults pursue couplehood to work towards marriage and starting a family, a man child will react poorly when asked about these milestones. Instead of having an honest conversation explaining how they’re not ready for marriage, they shut down, lash out, and even disappear for days. Some can even go as far as cheating to sabotage their relationship instead of dealing with their emotions.
Subtle Ways Guys Ruin Their Chances During The First Date
9. Weaponised incompetence
This is when adults act like they don’t know how to do something so as to get someone else to complete the task. A man child may not know how to perform regular adult tasks like laundry, making appointments, doing dishes. However, they may also know how to but don’t want to due to laziness and a general lack of consideration. When you ask them to help make dinner because you’re busy, they ask too many questions about how to do it. Asking them to go shopping becomes a lecture on how to differentiate products. Eventually, they bring home all the wrong products, making you do the shopping yourself.
Weaponized Incompetence And How To Deal With It
10. Nagging
After so much frustrating behaviour, you may notice that you’re nagging your partner more often than not. You realise that you have to act like a parent to get them to do anything. This creates a cycle of toxicity that is ultimately a doomed relationship.
Dating men like this can feel like an uphill battle. Some people can feel like they have to endure the pain to get the rewards of the relationship. It’s a false belief that relationships should be hard for them to be rewarding. Marriage or having children won’t change them either. When you find yourself being a maid or a nanny to your partner, run.
Check out:
7 Toxic Dating Trends You Should Look Out For
Excuses You Should Never Make For Your Man
How To Spot And Save Your Relationship From Codependency
