Meet the Kids: Tips for Dating Parents

It may be that you or your new partner – or both – have kids. You’ve been dating for awhile and you both feel that you’re not going anywhere. The time has come where you both want to make the kids a part of your relationship, but you really don’t know where to start.

It’s always a sound decision to wait until the two of you are past the initial “nervous” stage. It’s important to become comfortable enough with one another that you understand your partner’s personality and how they will react to the kids. After all, if you don’t take the time to get to now your partner, you’re going to be introducing your kids to someone who may be on their way out as soon as they came. That’s not something you want to expose your kids to since they’re probably still becoming accustomed to the fact that you’re dating.

The decision to bring children into your relationship needs to be mutual. If either you or your partner aren’t quite ready to “meet the kids,” that’s something you have to respect. In a case where one partner asks to wait, have an open and honest conversation so that they can explain their reasons for wanting to wait. Just saying “I’m not ready” won’t give your partner (or you) anything tangible to work with. Once you have that information, you can continue to work together towards the goal of bringing your children into your loving relationship.

If you’re both ready to meet the kids, think about how you’d like that to happen. While a dinner or lunch can be a great idea, kids usually don’t find meal times to be “fun” events. Why not plan a “play date” at the playground? A group hike at a local lake or even a trip to the amusement park can also be fun. Make the day about the kids and plan an event that will be fun for them. This takes the pressure off of them to focus on the two of you and lets them still be kids for the day!

However you decide to introduce kids into your relationship, make sure it’s not only about you and your partner, but the kids as well. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for and they’ll be able to sense if you’re uncomfortable, feeling awkward or just not ready to be where you’re at. To help, we’ve put together a list of some possible outings for introducing your partner to your children!

Local parks or national parks: Take everyone out for a day at the playground or a short hike. Pack a lunch, bring drinks and snacks or just throw everything in a backpack and let the kids lead the way!

Museums: Maybe the kids have a fascination with King Tut or dinosaurs. What better way to spend the day than take them to a place where their imaginations can run wild?

The Zoo: What kid doesn’t love animals? Not only is it a half to full day of adventure, but it’s an ideal opportunity for the kids to take charge of the day. Let them show you where they want to go and it’s likely they’ll do all the talking.

Local Sports Games: It doesn’t have to be major league to be big fun. Plan an outing to a baseball, soccer, hockey or football game. A great idea if your kids play sports. Not only will they be able to see the “big guys” in action, they’ll understand what’s going on and feel empowered to lead the conversations of the day!

If you are a single parent interested in trying out online dating, why don't you check out our Single Parents Dating category where you will find a list of dating sites ideal for single Moms and Dads.