What to text when you want him to initiate sometimes

A one-sided text pattern usually means you're asking questions or sharing updates. He replies to those because they have a built-in prompt. What he doesn't do is text you something random, or tell you about his day unprompted, or ask you questions back. That requires him to think of you on his own.

This happens because you've removed the stakes. If he doesn't text you, you text him. So there's no gap where he might actually miss you or realize he hasn't talked to you in a while. He's comfortable because you're handling the work. Good replies break that pattern by making silence feel like a choice he doesn't want to make.

A text that makes him initiate has to do two jobs. First, it gives you a clean exit point so you can actually stop texting for a few days without it being awkward. Send something that doesn't require a reply, or something that closes the loop. Second, it removes the routine of him just answering your prompts. He needs to feel like reaching out is something he wants to do, not something he's conditioned to do.

This means less 'how was your day' and more moments where you share something that makes him want to respond with his own thing, or you reference something that makes him think about you later. The goal is to make him realize that texting you is different from texting most people.

After you send a text that closes a conversation, put your phone down. Two days minimum. Three to five is better. This gives him room to miss the back-and-forth and to think about reaching out. If he does, great. You've trained him to initiate. If he doesn't, that tells you something too, and you'll know whether this is worth your effort.

If he still hasn't texted after five days, you can send something once more. But if that also gets no response from him, stop. He's shown you he's content with you doing the work. At that point, you know what you're dealing with, and you can decide if that's the dynamic you want.