How to turn the worm

I’m often asked how to make men behave better. Call when they say they will, propose when you’re ready for it, stop going on all night benders with the boys. These are guys we love but who infuriate us, guys who are good 60 percent of the time, and tear-your-hair-out frustrating the other 40 percent. I’m not having a go at all men, I know many of you have the R.E.S.P.E.C.T thing down pat. I’m talking about the ones who need a big kick up the A.R.S.E.
When I’m dating a guy who’s got the potential to be a great boyfriend but at present is being a crap one, I like to use my Turn The Worm Strategy. It involves one simple premise: disappearing. Yes, I can hear the disapproving tut-tuts of reality chicks who abhor games. And I agree, to a point. But this isn’t a game – it’s a test. If it makes him appreciate you, you’ll know about it within a week or at the very most 10 days. If it drives him away, you know the rogue was wrong for you anyway. (I hope.)
I helped a pal employ the Turn The Worm tactic a few years back. Her guy was charming, but wayward: he thought booty-calling was acceptable, spent entire weekends either getting drunk or nursing a hangover, and let her put in the relationship leg-work. Despite his bad behaviour, she loved the cheeky sod and could see his potential. So we turned the worm.
She started by not returning his texts. Then when he called to see why, she let his calls go to voicemail. If he did catch her out by dialling from a private number, she was always ‘busy’ or ‘late’ for something and had to run, promising to ring him back later – but then ‘forgot’.
If he called her home, her flatmate acted vague but cagey as if she wasn’t sure where my friend was, or hadn’t seen her for a while. Granted, it was hard. She was in love and not answering and/or returning his calls killed her, but she was tough and before long, the dude was crying into his Coco-Pops and ringing on the hour, every hour, texting like a crazy man and even rocking up at her house with flowers and notes he shoved under the door. Once he experienced the fear of losing the most amazing woman he’d ever had the luck to meet, he shaped up - fast.
They are now married and he’s pretty close to being the perfect husband.
I heard about another reality chick whose muso boyfriend was giving her the runaround. She lost her phone and couldn’t call him for five days and by the time he got hold of her, he had broken out in a nervous rash, had left 17 messages on her phone and was banging her door down at midnight. Aww, who says boys can’t be taught to behave?
Turn The Worm works – if you’ve got the guts to try it. Or have you already? If so, spill the beans…