I’m not a parent, but I read your post anyway and wanted to share my response to see if it’s of any value to you.

From my perspective, the break ups with him have caused you a lot of sadness, hurt, and feeling bad.  When you lean on your parents for support, they REALLY feel your suffering and pain — something no parent wants for their child.  They associate your sadness and hurt with your boyfriend, because this is the source of it, right?  The breakups?

So from my eyes, I can understand how they might feel if they hear you bringing him up… because they associate his name with the cause of your sadness.  I don’t know the full story, but that’s just what I see.

Hope that sheds a little light 🙂