New girlfriend and the co-parenting nightmare begins | DadHQ

New girlfriend and the co-parenting nightmare begins

5d ago1 min read

Started dating someone 8 months ago, things are getting serious. My ex has completely lost it. Says I'm prioritizing my love life over the kids (I'm not), won't let my girlfriend be around them (she's never done anything wrong), and is suddenly suggesting she wants more custody to "protect them." My lawyer says this is standard stuff but it feels like the divorce all over again. How do I handle this without making everything worse?

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Comments(5)

DDerekRegular3d ago

8 months in and things are serious - that's when exes tend to flip. Make sure your new girlfriend understands this is a marathon, not a sprint, and that your ex will likely escalate before she settles down. Does she have kids of her own or is this her first co-parenting situation?

SStevenRegular3d ago

Yikes. Been there. My advice is to keep your new relationship completely separate from your custody time until things are way more locked down. The last thing you need is your ex using 'rushed new girlfriend' as ammo in a custody battle.

GGreg H.Regular5d ago

Eight months in and things are serious is totally normal. Just make sure your girlfriend knows the kids come first and respects those boundaries. Your ex will chill out once she sees this isn't affecting your parenting.

SSean L.New Dad5d ago

Your ex is probably scared of losing influence, man. Stay consistent with your kids and don't make them choose between you and your girlfriend. Sean L. here from Phoenix - I learned that keeping routines solid with my kids is what matters most, not what my ex thinks about my dating life.

SStevenRegular5d ago

Man, the new girlfriend intro to co-parenting is rough. Your ex's reaction is probably less about her and more about losing control of the situation. Stay calm, keep everything documented, and don't let her drama pull you into acting crazy. The kids will adjust if you handle it maturely.