Lots of us have dated a guy who we’d rather not bring around our friends—much less bring home to mom and dad. Maybe he was ill-mannered, offensive or just plain unsanitary. But then there’s a different type: The type you would love to bring around other people but he refuses to go.

Example: You’ve got an event at your boss’s house; you tell your boyfriend about it; he says, “It’ll be boring. I won’t know anyone,” and somehow weasels his way out of it. If you’ve been through this so many times that your co-workers are starting to call him “Mr. Snuffleupagus,” you may have a problem.

But is his reluctance to attend functions with you a sign of shyness or selfishness? Is it trivial or troublesome? And is there anything you can do to get him to slap on a “Hello my name is…” badge and at least pretend to have a good time?

Figure out why he flakes.
If the relationship is fairly new, he may just not know how to be a boyfriend or he may not be ready to be one. Jeff Cohen, the dating expert at dating.about.com, says, “Some single guys struggle to transform from a bachelor hanging out with the guys to a partner standing by their woman's side. They mistakenly believe that rejecting various events reasserts their independence.”