"If one person wants children, and is capable of having children — if they have only pictured their life as happy and fulfilled with a child, then this may not be the relationship for them.” It’s often easy to do. Dating someone with a child can be more complex than dating someone who doesn’t have kids. Many times the grandchildren see their grandparents as their real parents because of … Only you can know if this is the right decision for you. The fact that there are children involved doesn’t change why you were attracted to them in the first place. It’s the result of having trouble with social skills. They might struggle to make conversation, seem out of sync, or behave in a way that turns off other kids. Be clear about your reasons for making this choice and be able to enumerate them. Life as you know it will change forever. It’s not necessary for a child to eat at every meal. When you’re in a relationship, really is no bigger game-changer than having a baby. So it doesn’t shock me when parents, families, caregivers, friends, etc. This, despite what you might have heard, isn’t always such a bad thing. The only thing that it changes is knowing this relationship will have more requirements. Your partner has a thousand good reasons s/he doesn't want children. I have three younger sons at home, and I can’t have this older, ill child live with me. come to my office desperately seeking help and suggestions on … But, in every single case, sacrificing your own happiness to keep your partner happy is a recipe for future marital discord.Choosing not to have children must come from your heartfelt desire not to have them. Thank you all for sharing here. And you may understand them all. They want to interact, but when they do, it doesn’t go well. But if you decide it is, you'd better be damn sure you can love those kids like your own. Yet their numbers are set to grow: the proportion of women not having children … I spend every moment currently being sad and in dread thinking he’ll commit suicide. He doesn’t live with me yet, but I’m afraid it may eventually happen. Children, especially young ones, can have big swings in their appetites over the course of a day or even over days to weeks. It’s a sad situation . Going out and having a fun weekend might sound nice, but getting a babysitter for the kids isn’t always practical. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be a great experience, though. But for some kids, spending time alone isn’t just a preference. As a woman who doesn't want kids of her own, I've always been a little apprehensive about dating someone who has a child. I have no answers, but I’m glad to find this group. It's not like I'm Meredith in … Thank you. 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