Lifestyle: 4 Signs your partner is not ready for a serious relationship

Are you ready to take your relationship to the next level, but you’re picking up some resistance? If you’ve been waiting for your partner to take the next step toward a serious relationship, in some cases you could be waiting for a very long time. There’s a possibility he or she is not ready to get serious right now — or ever. Here are a few signs your devotion is completely one-sided.

1. No one knows you’re dating

If you’ve been seriously dating for a while and still haven’t been introduced to family and friends, something is wrong. Eyebrows should raise if your date introduces you as a “friend” or doesn’t introduce you at all when you run into someone he or she knows well. The reason for the lack of introduction could be a lot of things. You could just be a fling or a dirty little secret because your partner’s friends and family might object if they met you. The worst case scenario? Your new love might be married. Whatever the reason, it will be important to ask where you stand and learn the reason for the rude behavior.

2. Your partner occasionally disappears

When you try to make plans, your partner may be difficult to contact. And when you call and leave a message, sometimes it takes days to hear back. At times it may seem like you get very close and then all of a sudden your partner pulls away without warning. He or she could have fears of commitment due to a past hurt or lingering doubts about the relationship.

3. Very little effort is made to see you

Are dates constantly being rescheduled or cancelled? If you’re always the one initiating dates and your partner often seems too busy to meet up, he or she is looking for ways to create distance. If your love goes out of his or her way to create an emotional buffer and slow down the pace of the relationship, even after months of dating, this is an indication that he or she is just not ready to move forward. If someone is truly interested in getting serious, effort will be made to see you.

4. Conversations about the future are avoided

Even if you just casually bring up where the relationship is headed, the subject is redirected or shut down completely. This is a red flag. If your partner is uncomfortable with making long-term plans, you may not be together for long. If you’re not concerned about getting serious, that’s fine, but if you had hopes of marriage and babies, you should get some answers as soon as possible and prepare yourself for the possible end of the relationship.