Dear Abby:
Ex-husband’s parade of dates interferes with his parenting time.
Dear Abby:
I have been divorced for a year and have two boys, ages 8 and 9. During this time, my ex-husband has introduced three different women to my children and recently introduced them to a new girlfriend he has been seeing for a few weeks. The first day that they met the girlfriend, he had the kids spend the night at her place. The woman has a 9-year-old son of her own.
I do not find this appropriate. When I confronted my ex, he insisted that there is no problem with it. How long do you recommend someone wait before introducing children to the person he/ she is dating?
Am I wrong to be concerned about this? Caring Mom in Kansas Dear Caring Mom:
Unless your ex is trying to teach his sons that relationships are revolving doors, he should slow down the traffic. They need to spend time with their father, not their father plus one. Occasionally having a female friend join him and the boys is all right, provided they understand she’s just a friend. But he shouldn’t have been diluting the time he was spending with the boys during this first year to the extent that he has because it sends the wrong message.
Dear Abby:
My lesbian friend, “Giselle,” broke up with her significant other, whom she met over the internet. They actually have never met in person because her girlfriend, “Samantha,” lives in Canada, but Giselle says they were soul mates. Samantha has moved on and now has another sweetheart, but Giselle won’t move on.
It has been many months and Giselle is still trapped in this bubble of sadness. She won’t stop talking about how much she loves Samantha. I kept reassuring her everything would be OK and maybe she would find somebody else like her internet friend did.
After a few months, she became angry and accused me of not being supportive of her trying to get Samantha back. She also accused me of not understanding “what girl-to-girl love is,” which makes no sense, considering that I’m bi.
This has been going on for nearly a year. Should I back off, or must I continue to be supportive? Trying to be Supportive Dear Trying:
Giselle is angry at you not because you haven’t been supportive, but because she’s upset her feelings for Samantha aren’t returned. This is called “displaced anger,” and you happen to be the nearest target.
Your life will be a lot more pleasant if you step out of the picture until Giselle figures out for herself that her romance has fizzled and decides for herself to move on.