I'm not really sure how to phrase this question properly! Please bare with me while I get to the point.
I have a toddler (16 months) and split from his father 6 months ago. I started seeing someone 4 months ago, although I recently called it off due to how difficult it was to see each other in the flesh without my child present.
There were only 2 occasions where my child did meet this guy, both times were at my house. I was quite taken aback by how quickly my son took a shine to him. He isn't quick to warm up with anyone else! Not even family he sees regularly. He was immediately very friendly and cuddly with this guy. I didn't expect that at all, in fact I expected the total opposite!
I was trying to avoid them spending any length of time around each other, but on one of the occasions in particular it couldn't be helped. However, I was under the impression that at <16 months he has no context of what a 'new partner' is, and couldn't have gotten attached to him as a father/special figure at this age, even if he saw him more frequently. I assumed he would view him as any other friend that comes into our home, and being around him at this age wouldn't be confusing for him.
Obviously there's an age he would begin to understand the concept of a new partner and get attached to that, and I'm wondering when that has been in other people's experiences. Google has been unhelpful.
Is there a time frame where they're so young that 'dating' around them isn't problematic if it didn't work out long term?
This is more out of curiosity, as I'm wondering if I've ended things prematurely before I needed to. I'm not worried my son's going to be damaged by not seeing someone again that he only met twice.
Just for the record, I'd known the guy I was seeing for 15+ years. We had been good friends for a long time with a mutually acknowledged but unexplored 'spark' between us (before I got serious with my sons dad). I'm not silly enough to bring a total stranger into my home around my very young son. Just incase I got a warning about that!