My boyfriend and I have been together for about two years now. He’s 34, I’m 24. It was very much “love at first sight” for the both of us, and we were both equally crazy about each other during the honeymoon phase. Six months in came the wake-up call. I’d appreciate some of your thoughts on this, I’m having a hard time figuring it out myself. I’m a little scared I’m settling...

So it kinda hit the fan when I met his folks. Now, I’m from a European background, and my family are upper-middle class, all university educated. Manners, social behaviour, and etiquette have, fortunately or unfortunately, been drummed into me by my folks. That’s just how I was raised. I must also admit, I do share my family’s views on such things, which is a bit of a problem, as my boyfriend is from a poor, peasant family from the countryside. Some of the habits he and his parents have kind of evoke a knee-jerk “nope” reaction for me. I know this may sound ridiculous to a lot of people outside of Europe or other more traditional parts of the world, but there are some habits that are distinctly working class. Some of them are hard for me to tolerate in my boyfriend. Also, MIL is controlling and manipulative, and he’s very much a mummy’s boy who never puts his foot down with her. This has also been a concern of mine.

Another issue we seem to be having is a difference in temperaments. I’m very independent, goal-orientated, and have many, many diverse interests. I have always been self-sufficient and ambitious. My boyfriend is very talented at his job. He’s quite high-up in his field, and admired by many. What seems to be the issue is his lack of hobbies and “flair” in life. He’s recently put on a lot of weight and is becoming increasingly lazy. His job requires him to be in front of a computer monitor for many hours, often into the early hours of the morning. If he’s not working, he’s playing video games. He is worldly and intelligent, but he wastes his (little) free time playing games. I’ve tried to get him on board my exercise regime and Keto diet, but he always gives in.

I’m worried that he’s “hit the wall” and that our social-economic differences will create divides between us when it comes to children. As someone who is fit and conscious of my lifestyle, i’m worried my boyfriend’s weight gain and laziness will only get worse as the years go by... how can I measure our compatibility in the long term?