How do i handle my bf's low self esteem about his intelligence?
My boyfriend has always struggled academically, he had to really work hard to keep around a 3.0 GPA in high school and could never handle the harder classes. Now through college he's struggling even more and it really frustrates him.
He's always been very athletic and extremely talented with his hands, he does woodwork and can make some beautiful furniture and is very good at figuring out how to fix any plumbing or electricity or auto problems we've had.
But math and writing completely stumps him. Even with tutoring and retaking Algebra twice he just can't seem to grasp the concepts. I feel really bad for him, because he works so hard and gets so down and frustrated over it.
I'm currently studying to be a cosmetic surgeon, which inherently pulls in some higher salary numbers, and I think he's embarrassed about possibly making less than me. And at this point, he's becoming bitter and resentful and a ticking time bomb to go on the defensive if anything threatens to make him "look dumb"
I try to encourage him to keep at his academics, but I'm not sure if I should get him to focus more on what he's good at rather than what people expect him to be good at.
Encourage him to keep trying to excel academically | 1 | |
Have him focus more on what he's good at, maybe school isn't his thing | 20 | |
Other. | 3 |