r/AmIBeingTooSensitive • u/OtherShopping19 • 7h ago
Am I overreacting for being bothered that my boyfriend wants to coach other people’s kids but barely does activities with our own son?
My boyfriend (M28) and I (F26) have been together for years, and we have an almost 3-year-old son together. I’m also currently pregnant with our second child.
Recently, my boyfriend told me that a new coworker was going to help him get into coaching a children’s basketball team. He seemed excited about it and mentioned that it’s something he’s wanted to do for a while.
I responded lightly but supportive because I genuinely thought it was a good opportunity for him.
However, he laughed at my response, said it was weird, and accused me of being fake happy for him.
That’s when I decided to explain something that had been bothering me. My boyfriend has never taken our son on an outing by himself. He doesn’t take him to the park, plan father-son activities, or really initiate spending quality time with him outside the house. When he’s home, he’s usually doing his own thing.
I’m typically the one planning activities and outings for our son. For example, I recently had free tickets to a children’s attraction and wanted us to go as a family, but my boyfriend didn’t want to go.
So I explained that while I was genuinely happy about his coaching opportunity, I found it a little disappointing that he’s excited to dedicate his free time to coaching other people’s children when he doesn’t show that same initiative with our own son.
I even mentioned that our son is almost 3 and could absolutely start learning basic basketball skills or at least accompany his dad to the court sometimes. Obviously, I don’t expect a toddler to play organized basketball, but it’s an opportunity for them to bond.
My boyfriend responded by laughing at the idea of teaching a 3-year-old sports, telling me to “stick to being a mom,” and eventually saying, “I’m good, you could do it.”
He also said he wasn’t going to coach anymore, even though I repeatedly told him that wasn’t what I wanted.
I never asked him not to coach. I actually think it could be a great opportunity for him. I just wish he showed that same excitement about doing things with our son.