How to Introduce Your Children to Your New Girlfriend After a Divorce

After a divorce, you probably need some time before you start dating.  Your children are also going to need some time to acclimate to the new situation before you bring a new woman into your life.  The following tips on how to introduce your new lady to your children will help the process go as smoothly as possible.

The first thing that you want to consider is how your children are going to feel.  It is going to be very strange for them to see you with someone who isn’t their mother, which is why you want to take the introduction slowly.  When you are finally ready to date, let your children know that you will be going out with your new friend.  However, you don’t want to introduce her to the children on those first few dates, just in case things don’t work out.  By letting your children know that you are going out, you are simply priming them for the initial introduction.

Wait until you’ve gone out with your new woman for several months.  Make sure that she is ready to meet the children too.  Make the first introduction a short one, where they meet her at your home before you go out.  After doing this a few times, you can arrange a local outing to the park or a local zoo (or similar child-oriented attraction), where you take your children and your new lady out for a day of fun.  Let them get to know one another and don’t force their friendship. 

Make sure there are no gifts involved during the introduction process, or your kids may feel like they’re being bribed to like your new woman.  If your new partner wants to give your children gifts, make sure they wait until an appropriate occasion such as a birthday or Christmas.

Most importantly, make sure that your children know that you and their mother are still friends and that they’ll still get to see her regularly.  No matter how hard it is, you always want to at least try to remain friends for the sake of your children, no matter what happened during the marriage.