A year in - what does/did your relationship look like at this point if you both already had kids from previous relationships?

[Fridaynightmare]

Just interested people's experiences to compare my situation too - it's not been quite a year yet for me but would like to hear others experiences of their relationships when it's a year down the line if you've both already got children. Any age really and absolutely no judgment from me for any length of time between meeting kids/moving in/proposing/more children.

Don't want to say my situation in case it sways the answers and I know everyone's relationships go at different places it's just in real life most people I know are still in their first marriage/relationship with their original dp so have no reference I suppose.

DH and is he. Even together 2.5 years. We got married three weeks ago today. We moved in together in March with our 4 kids, mine 16, 15 and his 10 and 8.

We feel very happy despite lots of other really shit things that have happened to us since we met and the kids seem happy with the family start up. My two get a bit irritated when the little ones are being whiny and his two find it weird when my two are having teenage strops but largely life is fairly harmonious and we are very lucky in that

Me & mine have been together nearly two years, introduced the children after about six months (sooner than we'd planned but my children wanted to meet the man they'd heard me speaking to/about). I met his child the same month and she comes here EOW. We live together now, and have done for a few months. Wouldn't change any of it for the world! X

Together 13 months. 2 adult children on his side. I have one adult child and a teen.

Met the kids after 3 weeks and his mum after 6 (no other parents on either side).

We've talked about marriage akd moving in together in that they are on the cards for the future but no immediate rush.

Spend all weekend together and 2-3 nights a week.

We both have hobbies and our own friends who we see and we do a hobby together. I've known him for 5 years when we got together.

Together a year, one teen boy each, he has an older step daughter also.
At the moment we see each other once or twice a week, mostly once depending on work, kids, other stuff.
We occasionally take the boys out for a day together, they get on really well, will probably increase this slowly in the new year.
No plans to live together until the kids have left home.
I would like us to spend more time together but we are both very busy.
It's nice to miss each other and most of the time we do spend together is quality time.

I'm interested in the responses to this too. I've been with DP 9-10 months.
I have a 9 yo Dd, he has none.

Prior to meeting him I'd been single 6 years and I can't believe how lucky I am.

The one niggle I have is that if he's met someone child free (like him) they would have a much less complex life, could be seeing each other as often as they liked and maybe even planning to move in together. I feel like this is so different from any other relationship I've had as we've not had that "can't get enough of each other" period - well we that way but can't act on it. It's like we've been forced to take it slower which is not necessarily a bad thing,

And in case that sounds bad, I wouldn't change a thing and Dd will always be my priority. It's just a different type of scenario than when you're footloose and fancy free and can plan weekends away, holidays etc together and be more spontaneous

A year in, we were engaged, had been living together three months and were 8 weeks away from our wedding. That was 5 years ago now.

We’ve been together 7.5 years now. He has an adult son, was a teen when we met, and I have two teens, were primary school aged when we met.

At a year in we saw each other quite a lot, though we worked around my dc mostly he had met them and hung around them at my house. His ds lived about 90 miles away so I saw him when he visited at weekends and holidays, we would all have dinner together etc.

He has lived with me and my dc for 5+ years now and his ds visits with his girlfriend as you’d expect from a young adult.

We both have 2 kids from previous marriage, late primary / secondary ages, we’re mid- late 40s. After a year we were seeing each other, and staying over, once a week when we both had no kids. 4 years on and it’s not so different- decided not to try & blend as both like time with just our kids and are quite independent. Very happy together and in love, definitely in it for the long haul, but still only seeing each other / staying over over 1-2 times a week- and taking 2-4 night breaks away about 3 times a year.

I had kids from a previous marriage, he had none. He met them after 4 months, just a hi bye as they went up to bed. He moved in 8 months after we met, got engaged 17 months after we met, married 21 months after meeting. We now have a child together and talking of more, he is a incredible father/step father and husband. I am very lucky 🍀

DP and I have been together for 15 months. We have six children together, aged between 9 and 22. We live only 2km apart, which helps to ensure we spend a lot of time together.

He has his EOW, I have mine 70% of the time. When he is without kids, he stays most nights at mine. We have about 8 nights a month together without any kids (heaven!) I met his children about 3 months in, he met mine at 5 months. Our children get along really well and with us too. It has all worked really well so far. Now we are thinking of buying a house together, although it is tricky to find one that is big enough. I am a bit scared of losing my independence but the benefits of being together every day and sharing our lives outweighs that for me. I feel incredibly lucky to have found him.

Met last September, he has 2 children aged 12 & 3 from previous relationships, I have two adult children.
We talked about moving in after about 3 months, moved in together 3 months after that.
Getting married in March 2023.
We have his son in the school holidays and his other one at least one weekend a month, sometimes more, nothings really set in stone.
We see my youngest regularly, but not the eldest so much.

I met his son 5 months after we met, and his daughter about 7 months. They really like me and we all get on really well, he's a fantastic (soon to be) step dad to my youngest (18) who loves him in return.

It's not without it's challenges, trying to find time for us and the children, but I wouldn't change it for the world - he is the best thing to ever have happened to me.

Thanks for all your messages been good to read.

I started my relationship with absolutely no desire of building a future together just took it for what it was, good times and no drama, but I forgot about the fact I'm a human with actual feelings and I feel like 8 months down the line although we're exclusive there's just no real commitment or even vague talks about the future.

If I'm honest with myself I want more at this point and I don't think my boyfriend does whatsoever.
It's all food for thought.