Single mum, introduce partner to 4 yr old.. advice?

[LilmissA]

Hi ladies
I have been dating my partner for coming up to 6 months & feel like I am ready for him & my almost 4yr old son to meet. We are together long enough for me to want him in my son & mines life & I really want to spend more time all of us together.

Can anyone give me advice on how they should meet? What I should call my new partner to my child.. boyfriend? How quickly should their time together increase.. sleepovers etc? Should my partner sleep in spare room or my bed?

My ex (split 10months, ex fiancé) knows I am in a relationship & has been awkward & annoying to put it lightly since, he does know they have never met & I do plan on letting him know first. So I do expect things to get worse once he knows this, luckily my new partner is very supportive & understanding. My son knows me & his daddy are not together, my ex says he asks him questions like why does he not live with us etc my son never mentions anything to me. My ex spends one night overnight each week with our son.

My family all know I am seeing someone & have met him once also.

In my experience, I introduced my child to my partner via a trip to the zoo / kept it short first time and then gradually increased the "together time" over the next few weeks. Then when we moved in together we slept in separate beds for a while until my DC got used to seeing us both together and then the next step was natural.

When I met my partners child, it was really relaxed and he referred to me as daddys friend. He asked if she would mind if I hang out with them for a bit. We went to the park for an hour and then I went home. The next time I saw her I stayed for a little longer and did something fun, I think to the arcade.

We moved in together a little later and his daughter came for a sleepover. This was probably 2–3 months after I first met her, and she was happy enough with us sleeping in the same bed.

She was 5 at the time :)

Thanks ladies .. zoo sounds like a great idea only it’s a bit far from me so it would be a day excursion which I think is a bit too long! My little boy loves people so I have no concerns thinking they won’t get along . I think I’ll introduce him as a friend & gradually build it up!

Just go to the park and icecream and say mummy's friend, no pressure

The zoo was only a suggestion. Park or museum or soft play... all would work well and keep them time limited. You only get one go to get it right so why rush it?