🔄 When stepkids become stepparents

Welp, we’ve come full circle, folks: my stepkid is now dating someone with kids 😱

My SD called Dan gushing this week about the amazing first date she just had… with a guy who has a couple kids.

After Dan got off the phone, he exhaled mightily and said “Well honey, I think I did a pretty good job not getting on my soapbox about all the wrong things she said about dating someone with kids.”

It wasn’t just her — it was the guy, too. Both of them agreed:

• They should be really solid in their relationship before she meets the kids, like dating at least a year.*

• And in fact, SD won’t even meet his kids until (or unless?) they say they want to meet her.

• The kids should always come first. Their relationship should of course take second place to the kids.

“Aw, they’re cute,” I said. “I’m pretty sure we believed every one of those, too.”

“I know,” said Dan. “It’s all coming from a place of best intentions.”

And they do. We all had the best of intentions starting out, didn’t we?