A little while back, I did something that I was very nervous about doing: I introduced Johnny to my boyfriend, Kyle. While I was confident that the two would get along swimmingly, and Johnny had shown me every sign that he is ready and open to the idea of me dating someone, it still made me anxious. I'd never been faced with the prospect of introducing two people I care so much about to one another. Granted, I'd done the whole bring-the-guy-home-to-meet-the-family thing before, but it is a bit different when that "family" is your 5 year old son, not your parents and siblings. I was ready for it, I needed it to happen, but my stomach was still in knots right up until Kyle walked in the door.
The plan was to have dinner and then go to a baseball game. Since I asked Kyle to grab one of my missing ingredients on his way over, dinner wasn't quite ready. Johnny quite enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to have Kyle all to himself, and began playing some game involving all of his Angry Birds stuffed animals that I'm pretty sure, had I been paying closer attention, would have gotten him in trouble for throwing things in the house. The last thing I meant to do was have my boyfriend walk in the door and entertain my child while I finished dinner, but that is exactly what ended up happening. By the time I finished cooking 10 or 15 minutes later, Johnny had decided that they were best of friends. Aside from a slight tantrum that he began to throw over eating his food, (which was a meal he specifically requested) dinner went smoothly and then we headed out to the game. We made it through about half of the innings before Johnny's eyes started to glaze over (it was past his bedtime) and I decided to call it a night. Johnny was super thrilled because Kyle had gotten him a fly ball, and he passed out pretty quickly once we put him down to bed. They've made plans with each other to watch The Croods sometime soon, and in the times where they've run into each other since then, Johnny has been thrilled to get a few minutes to play with his new buddy.
I feel like I can breathe again. No matter how much I like Kyle, that relationship (or any other) could only exist to a certain point without Johnny being introduced into the mix. And whereas my own mother didn't have to worry about us kids getting along with whoever she brought home, since we were 16, 18, 19 and 20 years old when she started dating again, (so it was beneficial if we got along with the guy but not imperative) any guy I bring home will have a much more prominent role in my child's life. Obviously Johnny has a father, and no one would ever take Steve's place -- nor should they want to, he doesn't need another dad -- but whoever I end up with, they'll be around for most of Johnny's childhood. Getting along with my kid is a make-or-break kind of deal. To my relief, Kyle and Johnny seem to like one another just fine. Then again, I would hope that my boyfriend could appreciate my mini-me... Johnny is, after all, so very much like his mother. We are a wonderfully unique (but fun) package deal.
The plan was to have dinner and then go to a baseball game. Since I asked Kyle to grab one of my missing ingredients on his way over, dinner wasn't quite ready. Johnny quite enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to have Kyle all to himself, and began playing some game involving all of his Angry Birds stuffed animals that I'm pretty sure, had I been paying closer attention, would have gotten him in trouble for throwing things in the house. The last thing I meant to do was have my boyfriend walk in the door and entertain my child while I finished dinner, but that is exactly what ended up happening. By the time I finished cooking 10 or 15 minutes later, Johnny had decided that they were best of friends. Aside from a slight tantrum that he began to throw over eating his food, (which was a meal he specifically requested) dinner went smoothly and then we headed out to the game. We made it through about half of the innings before Johnny's eyes started to glaze over (it was past his bedtime) and I decided to call it a night. Johnny was super thrilled because Kyle had gotten him a fly ball, and he passed out pretty quickly once we put him down to bed. They've made plans with each other to watch The Croods sometime soon, and in the times where they've run into each other since then, Johnny has been thrilled to get a few minutes to play with his new buddy.
I feel like I can breathe again. No matter how much I like Kyle, that relationship (or any other) could only exist to a certain point without Johnny being introduced into the mix. And whereas my own mother didn't have to worry about us kids getting along with whoever she brought home, since we were 16, 18, 19 and 20 years old when she started dating again, (so it was beneficial if we got along with the guy but not imperative) any guy I bring home will have a much more prominent role in my child's life. Obviously Johnny has a father, and no one would ever take Steve's place -- nor should they want to, he doesn't need another dad -- but whoever I end up with, they'll be around for most of Johnny's childhood. Getting along with my kid is a make-or-break kind of deal. To my relief, Kyle and Johnny seem to like one another just fine. Then again, I would hope that my boyfriend could appreciate my mini-me... Johnny is, after all, so very much like his mother. We are a wonderfully unique (but fun) package deal.
