Tell Your Friend You Hate Her Boyfriend
Friend Vs Beau
You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your friend’s boyfriend. Here’s how do you deal with your BFF’s jerk of a boyfriend.
Identify the creep. In other words, get to know the enemy. It’s important to understand what you’re really dealing with. Is he lazy? Disrespectful? Temperamental? Sleazy? Or just annoying? Once you’ve really got a handle on the type of jerk he is, you’re ready for the next step. And while this step can be as painful as your first bikini wax, it’s a necessary one.
Get the facts straight. While it would be much simpler to list all the appropriate adjectives to your friend, you’ll have to back up your statements. “He’s a jerk” isn’t going to fly, especially if she’s smitten. Facts, however, can go a long way. “He flirts with other women,” “You pay for everything,” or “He shows more emotion to his beer buddies,” are better.
Find the right time. Bad time: the jerk has done some rare, nice thing that your friend is gushing over. Good time: the jerk has upset her and she’s come to cry on your shoulder.
Keep your emotions out of it. While you want to scream out that he makes Jude Law look saintly, odds are it will put her back up. It’s all about her, remember. Calmly, kindly explain why she deserves better. When she starts defending him, go back to your facts. Use previous bad behaviour as back-up examples.
Slow, gentle, persistent. These are the key words to keep in mind. Slowly bring up the topic at the right time. Be gentle about it rather than emotional. Most importantly, be persistent. It’s all in the timing, but persistent reminders will hopefully soon lead to empowerment. When she’s ready to take on “I Will Survive” as her personal anthem, you’ve succeeded.
The aftermath. If your friend ditches him, congrats. Now comes the part where you pray the next one is marginally better. Or that she doesn’t have a moment of weakness and take him back. If he’s remained a part of the scene regardless of your efforts, don’t despair. You can either a) innocently drive him crazy enough to leave, or b) work very hard at encouraging your friend to force him to change his spots. If all else fails, make sure every time you see your friend, it’s for a girl’s night.
Written by: Robyn Burnett