How should I deal with a passive boyfriend?

[Anonymous]

My boyfriend and I have been dating for about 5 months and so far we have been getting along great and he treats me well. However, over the past couple of weeks I have found myself getting really annoyed with his passivity. Ever since our first date he has wanted me to make all the decisions about what we do together. For awhile I thought it was sweet but now it's really starting to bother me. He recently wanted me to plan out what we should do for MY birthday and he wanted me to tell him exactly what to get me, when I told him I would rather him surprise me he got upset with me for making him make decisions. Lately I have been feeling like the "man" in the relationship and I really hate it. He lets me walk all over him and I wish he would stand up for himself every now and then. He used to be overweight (he has lost 150 pounds over the past two years) and he is very insecure, this is also his first serious relationship (he is 22). I am aware that both of these things probably play a part in why he is not assertive in our relationship but I don't know what to do to help him improve his confidence. I want to talk to him about my desire for him to be more assertive but I don't want to hurt his feelings and make him feel even more insecure. Is there anything I can do that would help him feel more confident in himself and in his decision making?

[Anonymous]

I would maybe try complimenting him more, telling him your proud of him, telling him how well he does things. My boyfriend is the same way and sometimes it annoys the piss out of me lol just because I want to him to make some decisions. He makes me pick everything! We'll play argue about it. but I completely understand where your coming from. Like I said maybe just try complimenting him more and stuff like that.