{"id":7496,"date":"2015-03-17T10:40:19","date_gmt":"2015-03-17T17:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/about.zoosk.com\/en\/?p=7496"},"modified":"2021-05-31T23:56:42","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T06:56:42","slug":"best-tips-for-dating-someone-with-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/dating-advice\/best-tips-for-dating-someone-with-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Tips for Dating Someone with Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you don&#8217;t have kids of your own, the thought of dating someone who has a child&nbsp;(or two or three) can seem intimidating but if you initiate the relationship&nbsp;with an open mind, dating a person with children can be a really rewarding experience \u2015 and lots of fun, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zoosk talked to <a href=\"http:\/\/therapywitherica.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">marriage and family therapist, Erica Curtis<\/a>, about what dating someone with kids entails and how to prepare yourself for the ride. Here are the most important tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">1. Realize you\u2019ll never be #1.<\/strong><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"> First and foremost, before you start dating someone with kids, realize that you will never be that person\u2019s number one priority. For some, the idea of not being number one is just inconceivable, so if you\u2019re one of those people, then you\u2019re probably a better match for someone who doesn\u2019t have children. But, if you can accept the fact that there will always be someone else who comes first, then you\u2019ll be a-okay.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">2. Leave your expectations at the door.<\/strong><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"> As Curtis explains, it\u2019s paramount that you leave your expectations and assumptions at the door. \u201cWhether you expect the best, or the worst, or fall somewhere in between, kids will undoubtedly surprise you.&nbsp;When we are too attached to our own expectations, at best we may feel frustrated, and at worst we may fail to see what the child really needs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><strong>3.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/span><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Take it slow and be flexible.<\/strong><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"> Of course, if you\u2019re dating someone with children, you\u2019re going to take it slow, but once you\u2019ve both agreed that you\u2019re ready to be introduced to the apples of their eye, you need to slow up even more and be open for whatever comes next.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDepending on many factors (age of the child, the emotional life of the child, how long you\u2019ve been dating, how long the parents have been apart, specifics surrounding the separation, etc.), children may respond very differently to being introduced to a new significant someone, and responses may even fluctuate from day to day.&nbsp;Take initiative but take it slow. Try not to personalize difficulties.&nbsp;Be flexible.&nbsp;Adjust accordingly,\u201d says Curtis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"><strong>3.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/span><strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">Remember this is a learning experience.<\/strong><span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"> Even if the person you\u2019re dating has been dating for a while, each person they introduce to their kids opens another opportunity to learn. Curtis says to never forget that this is a learning experience for everyone: \u201cAs much as possible embrace the present moment, the rewarding moments and the challenging ones, with compassion for yourself, your partner, and the children.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The top things you should know to prepare yourself for the ride. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":18088,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[884,977],"tags":[161,423,756,755],"class_list":["post-7496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dating-advice","category-dating-with-kids","tag-dating-advice-2","tag-parents","tag-universal-orientation","tag-universal-sex"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Best Tips for Dating Someone with Kids<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dating someone with kids is really rewarding and a lot of fun. 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