What to text when he says texting is hard but always expects you to start

He's saying texting is hard (so you shouldn't expect it from him) while also saying he likes you (so you should keep trying). This setup lets him have your attention without giving his own. The claim that texting is hard is often true about the effort it takes. But the real problem is that he's still choosing to receive your messages while choosing not to send any. If texting were too difficult, he wouldn't expect you to do all of it. What's actually happening is he's comfortable with you carrying the entire conversation weight.

Your reply needs to do two jobs at once. First, acknowledge what he said so he can't claim you misunderstood. Second, set a condition that makes the imbalance visible and uncomfortable. Don't ask him to change his texting style or try harder. Instead, tell him what you need from a dynamic where both people care. Then step back and let him decide if he's willing to do it. The move here is to stop initiating and watch what he does. If he reaches out, something shifted. If he doesn't, you have your answer about how much he values the connection.

Send your boundary message, then wait. Don't fill the silence. This is the hardest part because the anxiety hits fast, but silence is the only thing that will show him you're serious. If he goes days without texting, resist the urge to check in or send another message. Each time you break and text first, you're resetting the pattern. If he does eventually text, reply warmly but don't reward the lag with a long message. Keep it shorter than his message so he knows you're not back to doing all the work. If two weeks pass with no contact, he's already given you his answer.