The whole friends-versus-alone-time issue can be frustrating, but it's great that you have talked to your boyfriend about this already, rather than not speaking your mind. How do you approach him? The way we ask for what we want can have a huge impact. Have you done it using your point of view and your feelings? Sometimes when we start off a sentence with "you," as in, "You always hang out with your friends and never spend time alone with me," it can cause the other person to get defensive and not hear what we say. But starting off with "I," as in, "I like your friends, but I feel bummed (or disappointed, sad, etc.) when we spend so much time with them that we have no alone time together," it could make him realize that you're not being critical of him, but that you like him and want to see him.

Another thing to do next time you broach this subject is to be specific: both about the types of things you would like to do without his friends (go to a particular concert, amusement park, whatever), and about how much time you would like to spend together. For example, you could suggest that this weekend, perhaps he could spend Friday night with his friends, and Saturday night just the two of you could hang out. This would also give you some time to spend with your own friends.

Something to keep in mind is that it could be that your boyfriend feels a little insecure. Maybe he enjoys being alone with you, but doesn't always know how to act alone with you. Guys are usually more comfortable with other guys. So give him a chance to get comfortable by taking the lead and inviting him out with specific plans mapped out, so there's less pressure on him to plan everything himself and feel like he needs to know exactly what you want to do.

— Kate Forest, MSW