When your birthday is coming up and you can't wait to celebrate, you're probably making plans to go out, confirm dinner reservations, and wondering what your partner has planned for this year.
But if the day comes and - half the day has passed - your partner still hasn't even sent you a simple message: "Happy", then that can be kind of disappointing. Before you worry about what it might mean when your partner forgets your birthday, keep in mind that the absence of a birthday could have many different reasons... some of which have nothing to do with your relationship at all.
The first thought when the partner forgets an important date may be that he does not care, but this is not always the case. Although it may seem unbelievable and an old cliché, sometimes people forget important dates or plans because they have too many things on their minds.
"Life can get in the way and you won't always be the first thing on their mind," says relationship expert James Preece. "They might be worrying about something, so talk about it."
Here's how to react better when your partner forgets your birthday:
If your relationship is new
If you've been together for a short time, a forgotten birthday doesn't mean there's a deeper problem in your relationship.
"If you're just starting out, it's not a big deal," says Preece. "They may not have wanted to do a big set-up for fear of overdoing it."
And if the relationship is very new, it might be that your partner didn't even know it was your birthday, so you might want to give him some space.
If they apologize
If you spend time together and they forget, again that's not automatically a bad thing. "If this person is the perfect partner in every other way, caring and loving, then let it go and don't make a big deal out of it," advises Susan Trombetti, broker and CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking.
“Especially if they feel really bad that they forgot. Let them try to make it up to you." Yes, the fact that they forgot is annoying and can hurt you, but if they show remorse and really want to make it better, maybe you can forgive them and accept their forgiveness.
If they don't seem to care
More important than forgetting the birthday is the reaction of the partner when he realizes that he has forgotten.
If your partner doesn't seem concerned at all and has no plans to improve the situation, it may be time for a more serious conversation about how important you are to their priorities. Everyone wants and deserves to feel special and if they don't usually or on your birthday, then that tells you all you need to know.
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