Photo: Krakenimages.com / Shutterstock
He wants to love you, but he just can't.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Last updated on Jan 20, 2023
Every man I have ever dated has daddy issues. And having romantic relationships with them can be a bit harder than usual.
I'm not saying this in a dismissive way. Daddy issues aren't a laughing matter. Each one of these wonderful men was deeply impacted by the behavior of a father who was abusive, emotionally cold, or just plain not there.
Unless I'm some freak of nature (always a possibility) there's a strong likelihood that a man you're dating could be a man with daddy issues all his own.
Let me tell you the most important thing before we go any further: men with daddy issues are men who need and deserve love.
But loving and dating him isn't always going to be easy. In fact, sometimes it can be damn rough.
Here are 6 problems you might face dating men with daddy issues.
1. He's got a hidden (or not-so-hidden) anger.
His friends describe him as the life of the party. He's sweet and funny, a total goofball, and a giant pushover. But he's got a lot of anger simmering inside him. It can manifest in a lot of weird ways. Something as simple as a fallen quiche could send him spiraling.
But you know what, I mean, he did make you a quiche so there is that.
2. The idea of having kids freaks him out.
Sure, guys of all sorts have issues when it comes to talking about a future, but your guy takes it to the extreme. You smile at a cute baby passing on the street and when you turn to look at him there's just a him-shaped cloud where the dude used to be.
3. He's weird with your dad.
He's charming as the day is long. He meets your friends and they love him, he even manages to charm your mother. But he's weird with your dad. If he agrees to meet him at all he's hostile and sullen.
He can't separate his own dad from what it means to be any dad at all.
4. He has a hard time opening up.
By month three of dating, he's got a pretty solid sense of who you are, and where you come from. Of course, there's still a ton to learn, but there's a foundation. But you know almost nothing about him. You know where he lives, you know what music he likes, you know he makes him laugh until you want to pee, but, that's kind of it.
He's a closed book, not by choice, but because he's had to be.
5. He can't say "I love you."
Even if he really, really wants to say 'I love you', it's just not possible. It's buried deep in his throat. You can tell he cares when he smiles at you.
But for him love equals pain, and he'll do anything to avoid feeling that way ever again.
6. Fighting with him is impossible.
Try fighting with a guy who has daddy issues. Try it. I dare you. It's impossible. Hermit crab-like, he will retreat deep into his shell before he'll risk having a feeling in front of you.
Unless he's drunk in which case he might start sobbing and tell you about how his dad walked out on him for a life of drugs when he was five.
Or maybe that was just me that one time.
More for You:
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer and the former Senior Editor of Pop Culture at Newsweek with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, and true crime.