One of the more serious issues I’ve had to work through with Mini is introducing her to my girlfriend of several years. And to be honest, one of the worst decisions I’ve made has been to wait so long to make the introduction.
I had quite a few concerns, and while I think they’re valid, they made me wait unnecessarily long to introduce the two most important people in my life. I didn’t want Mini to see a never-ending parade of women in my life. I didn’t want her to meet someone, become attached to her and then that relationship end.
As it turns out, I was off-base. My girlfriend and Mini get along great. They have similar interests (reading, crafty-stuff like knitting, painting and coloring and playing boardgames). It’s always a good time for the three of us when we’re together for weekends.
It’s always a risk for parents when we introduce new people into our children’s lives. Especially when those new people are very important to us. We’re never sure what’s going to happen, how personalities will mesh or what reactions will be. And it’s quite scary to consider that the most important people in our lives could have a built-in dislike for each other. It’s even more scary to consider that that dislike could poison both relationships.
I guess the takeaway here is that we have to trust that our children will be okay with new people and new relationships. Otherwise, we’ll be living separate lives as adults…And who has that kind of energy?
Have you been in a similar situation? Have a new boyfriend/girlfriend that you introduced to your child? Or are you the new boyfriend/girlfriend adjusting to a new relationship with a child? Share you questions, ideas and experiences in the comments.
