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When Should My Kids Meet My Boyfriend? Parent Counseling in Michigan

by | Oct 7, 2020 | Adult Counseling, All, Family Counseling

When Should My Kids Meet My Boyfriend? Parent Counseling in MichiganYou’re in a new relationship and you feel a real connection with the person. You enjoy each other’s company and see the potential for true love in the future. There’s just one catch – you’re a single mom.

As a dating parent, it can be difficult to find the right time to introduce your boyfriend to your children. This guide is dedicated to dating single moms trying to do what’s best for their families.

There Is No “Right” Time

Before we assess different scenarios, we need to make something perfectly clear. There is no right time to introduce your partner to your children. Your unique situation will dictate the appropriate time for your family. This includes your child’s age, your past relationship history, your maturity level, your child’s maturity level, and much more. If you’re looking for a specific timeframe, you’re not going to find it here. Rather, we will explore how you can assess your situation to come up with the best time for your specific needs.

Do Not Introduce Your Children until You Have Commitment

Ideally, you should wait to introduce your boyfriend when he actually holds the title “boyfriend.” However, we realize that labels aren’t always common in today’s society. That’s why we clarified the need for commitment. If you are in a committed, monogamous relationship, you have both agreed that there is some sort of chemistry between you. If you’re still in the fleeting stages of dating, you do not want to get your children involved. They may become attached to someone that is only in your life for a moment. Then they will face disappointment when that person is no longer around.

If you are not using labels for your relationship, you still need to wait until you are in an exclusive relationship.

Wait Until You Feel Confident in the Relationship

If you’re still hesitant about the long-term potential of your relationship, it’s not appropriate to involve your children. They will feel your hesitation, and they may alter your decisions in the future. You may stay in a relationship you are not happy with because your child likes your partner. You may also feel the need to get out of a good relationship because your child is not happy with the situation. Wait until you are completely sure of the relationship before introducing your children.

Use Your Relationship History as a Guideline

Do you have a history of breaking up after a few weeks? Or perhaps your cycle is to date for three months, find something wrong, and then break up. Whether you want to admit it or not, you have some sort of dating history. Use this as a guide for when you should introduce your boyfriend to your children. If you’ve made it past the three-month breakup zone and you’re still happy, that’s a good sign this one is here to stay. There is less risk of introducing your children at that time.

Ask Your Counselor about the Introduction

If you are seeing a counselor or therapist, talk to him about your new relationship. If you feel like it’s time to complete the introduction, your counselor can tell you how to go about this process. There is no way to predict your children’s reaction, but this will give you the best chance at success. Your counselor will also let you know if it is too soon to do this introduction, so you can pull back if necessary.

For more advice for single moms, contact our parent counseling centers in Michigan. We have multiple locations in Metro Detroit, MI, and we work with single parents of all ages.

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