Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man

Sure, how your kids feel about this guy should count for
something, too. Children have an uncanny ability to pick up on
when human beings mean them well or harm; if they’re
younger, they have no ulterior motives about not liking some-
one, especially if you introduce him as “my friend Mr. So-and-
So,” just like you would any female friend of yours. But know,
too, that if your child’s father is in your kid’s life, your child
may not necessarily have the most warm and fuzzy feelings
about the new guy—and that’s natural. In these cases, your
child isn’t exactly going to make it easy for the new man to get
close quickly. But this isn’t necessarily going to scare a man off.
(First off, how would a grown man look being scared off by a
child? If he runs, let him.) Oh, the new guy might raise an
eyebrow or two if he keeps running into problems with Little
Chucky—if on the first date, Chucky forgoes a handshake for a
swift kick to the shin, and on the second date, the little monster
purposely rides his bicycle up the side of the new man’s ride,
and on the third date, he “accidentally” spills his fruit punch all
over your man’s nice white linen suit. But if you’re worth it,
he’s going to stick it out and see if Chucky is truly insane, or if
he simply keeps catching him on his bad days. He’ll try harder
to win Chucky over, and give the relationship more time to
assess whether Chucky is bearable.
And teenagers? Oh, men don’t even see them as a problem;
no man walks into a situation thinking they’re going to be best
friends with the teenager in the house. Even their biological
parents can’t stand teenagers, and vice versa, sometimes, so the