I have been divorced for two years and have teenage kids. They want me to date. Is it too soon?
What do you do when you’ve recently gone through a divorce–and your kids are encouraging you to date again?
Typically, children (of all ages) are resistant to the idea of a single parent dating. Divorce turns a family’s world upside down and inside-out, and often the idea of welcoming a new love interest on the scene is unpalatable for the kids–and unsettling for the single parent, even if the desire for a new relationship exists.
If your own children are pushing you to initiate some new relationships in your life, they’re giving you a gift. They may recognize your need for that kind of connection.
In today’s video, we’re discussing the reasons why your kids’ suggestion may be a very good thing.
In turn, your return to the dating world could be an immense blessing to your children. After a crisis like a divorce, parents tend to become more concerned than ever for their kids’ well-being. This can cause a parent to unintentionally stifle the children.
You’ve probably heard the term “helicopter parent.” Parents earn this term by closely and over-protectively hovering over their kids. And this can become a real problem if a parent concentrates all their energy on their children–and, in the process, neglects basic physical and emotional self-care.
Helicopter parents can easily slip into depending on their children for too much…especially emotional and social fulfillment.
It may be a great thing for your kids if you alleviate the pressure and responsibility they feel to meet all your emotional needs. Removing an intense and solitary focus from them could be a welcome relief.
If you’re divorced, have your kids encouraged you to date again? Have you taken them up on the suggestion? How has it positively affected your relationship with your children? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section.
