9 signs he’s not ready to propose

If you’ve been dating your man for more than a year, you, your mother and everyone else around you are probably wondering when he’s going to propose.

If you’re a typical girl, you are likely to have thought about marriage and kids at least once in your life Come on, you know it’s the truth.

If you’ve been dating your man for more than a year, then you, your mother and everyone else around you are probably wondering when he’s going to propose.

As a matchmaker, I meet women all day long. I hear so many stories of women who say they wasted their time with Mr. Wrong. Sure, they have some great memories from the relationship, but they wish they could get those precious years back.

If you don’t want this to happen to you, and you’ve been dating for more than a year, familiarise yourself with these nine tell-tale signs that your man is unlikely to put a ring on it:

1. He avoids weddings like the plague

When a guy isn’t squeamish about marriage, he’ll be comfortable attending weddings and he’ll want to you to come with him. If your man hates going to other people’s nuptials, that’s a good sign he isn’t ready for his own.

2. He doesn’t talk about getting married

If you bring up the topic of marriage and he changes the subject asap, marriage isn’t something he’s thought about. If your man has an aversion to the M-word, he’s subtly letting you know that marriage probably isn’t part of his plan in the foreseeable future. Likewise, when you’re with other people and the topic of marriage or children is brought up, pay attention to how your boyfriend reacts. Does he quickly change the subject (bad!), or does he say things like, “When I get married…” (good!)

3. He doesn’t plan

Is your boyfriend allergic to planning? Does he only make plans for the immediate or short-term future? If so, marriage isn’t likely to be a priority. He might be ready to make a date for this week or the weekend, but if he’s hesitant to make plans for six months from now, your future together may not be a sure thing in his mind.

4. He’s Mr. Excuse

man Men are simple creatures. When they want something, you’ll know. If they’re constantly making excuses about marriage or the future, it’s time to realise that something’s wrong. If he’s too busy and stressed to talk or think about marriage, it’s time to say ‘Sayonara’. If he has too much going on to focus on buying a ring, your future together isn’t looking so bright. Any excuse isn’t a good thing. If your boyfriend blames his lack of interest in marriage on work, money or family, then he isn’t eager to walk down the aisle.

5. He says he’s happy with the way things are

Plain and simple, if your man tells you he that he’s happy with the way things are, or he doesn’t want to ruin the special relationship you have, then he has no intention of taking your relationship to the next level.

6. He talks about the glory days

Pay close attention to what your boyfriend enjoys reminiscing about. Does he make references to how great the last vacation you guys took was? Or does he regularly and longingly tell stories about his college days? If he enjoys talking about his ‘spring break’ ’08 or mentions how much misses going out every night with his friends, he’s probably not mature enough to wed just yet.

7. He has no interest in your future

When you mention your five-year plan, if he seems completely uninterested in what you have in mind, he isn’t looking to build a life together.

8. None of his friends are married

Are your boyfriend’s friends mostly married or mostly single? If he has surrounded himself with only happy bachelors instead of having a healthy mix of single and married friends, then he won’t rush to take things to the next step.

9. He hasn’t mentioned starting a family

Men don’t have a baby clock ticking away like women do. In a man’s brain, having a family is a natural thing that will happen one day, when you’re married and the time is right. However, if he’s unwilling to discuss having a family one day, he may not be ready to walk down the aisle.