Relationship with dad: physical affection + being perceived by him

I love that I don't have to say hi or hello like I do in other communities (social niceties and all that) and that I can just jump right in.

I haven't called my dad "dad" to his face in about a decade. We've had problems even before that, but a decade ago we had a really traumatising fight and now I hate it when he's physically affectionate with me (he's generally very physically and emotionally expressive) - it makes me freeze and feel so uncomfortable. And I hate him perceiving me in roles such as that of a mother. Like normally I can talk to and be affectionate with a baby but when my dad is around, I don't do it because I'm so scared he's going to say, "One day that's going to be you!" and be really excited about it. Even typing it out and imagining it makes me want to rip my skin out.

I've seen some of this (both the trouble with addressing someone to their face and with the physical affection) with other family members (cousins, brother). But mostly they grew out of it, and theirs wasn't to this extent. I just hate the thought of having kids and bringing them to him and then being in the same room with him and my kid while he perceives me as a mother. AAAAH. (I don't want kids even aside from that for other reasons, but not because I can't be physically affectionate with them - as long as my dad and several other relatives aren't around, the physical affection isn't a problem.)

I've read some discussions on here about this, but I don't know if part of what I'm experiencing is to do with nurture (because so many other people around me had it in some form or another, to some extent) and because of the fight we had, or if it's because I'm autistic.

(By the way, I was recently diagnosed and haven't told my family because I know they would say, "You? Autistic? But you're so this and that and good in social situations!" and on and on.)

Parents
  • What does he percieve you as now?

    It sounds like he has some very strong social expectations about you, does he genuinely think that the only way for a woman to be fulfilled is through motherhood? Is this an unconcious thing with him or is it concious and maybe passive agressive?

    I remember having numerous conversations with my dad about "when I was going to settle down and be happy", he couldn't get his head around the idea that I didn't need a man in my life for me to be happy, that just because thats what made him happy didn't mean it would make me happy too. This was usually followed by conversations about the possibility of me being "funny", or in normal peoples terms a lesbian, despite the fact that I've got children and have had a few long term straight relationships, late onset lesbianisn was to his mind the reason I wasn't "settled down and happy"

Reply
  • What does he percieve you as now?

    It sounds like he has some very strong social expectations about you, does he genuinely think that the only way for a woman to be fulfilled is through motherhood? Is this an unconcious thing with him or is it concious and maybe passive agressive?

    I remember having numerous conversations with my dad about "when I was going to settle down and be happy", he couldn't get his head around the idea that I didn't need a man in my life for me to be happy, that just because thats what made him happy didn't mean it would make me happy too. This was usually followed by conversations about the possibility of me being "funny", or in normal peoples terms a lesbian, despite the fact that I've got children and have had a few long term straight relationships, late onset lesbianisn was to his mind the reason I wasn't "settled down and happy"

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