I started realizing I might be aro a few months ago, when I reflected back on my life and realized none of my ‘crushes’ were genuine. Since then I’ve been struggling with my parents’ expectations and how my newfound identity might damage them. I love both of them a lot and it’s hard to stand the thought of letting either down in any way; I know logically that it’s not my fault but I can’t help but feel guilty. Both want me to marry someone of the opposite sex and bear children, and I can tell they’re really hopeful of me having a “nuclear” family when I grow up, but now that I’m beginning to realize how little of that I want everything kind of sucks mentally. Is this a common experience, and if so, is there any advice for dealing with the situation?
.png.5d9da2a03916e93b1a89b38fce8b2544.png "Rank: Tadpole (1/4)")
I started realizing I might be aro a few months ago, when I reflected back on my life and realized none of my ‘crushes’ were genuine. Since then I’ve been struggling with my parents’ expectations and how my newfound identity might damage them. I love both of them a lot and it’s hard to stand the thought of letting either down in any way; I know logically that it’s not my fault but I can’t help but feel guilty. Both want me to marry someone of the opposite sex and bear children, and I can tell they’re really hopeful of me having a “nuclear” family when I grow up, but now that I’m beginning to realize how little of that I want everything kind of sucks mentally. Is this a common experience, and if so, is there any advice for dealing with the situation?