I’m a lone mum. The kids’ dad is totally absent and I don’t have other family. I’m not isolated, and have a good circle of other parents and my kids are happy and settled. We are a little unit of three. Kids are tweens.
I’ve met someone really nice. We were just friends first for six months, meeting up for daytime coffees and walks, and only recently — and very consciously, after a nice talk — changed it to more. He’s lovely.
I am just a bit stuck on how to manage it with the kids. They’ve met him a few times in passing, during the friend stage, and liked him. Now, we either see each other when I get a babysitter, or he comes over after they’re asleep for a bit… does anyone have any experience on how you make something like this more normal, or the right timescale for it? I’d like him just to be able to come for dinner and stay over without hiding.