5 Tips to Help You Thrive While Dating a Divorced Dad

5 Tips to Help You Thrive While Dating a Divorced Dad

Tomorrow I fly to Spain with my boyfriend of six years and his two cool kids and I can’t wait to spend quality time with the three of them for our two-week summer break.

Falling in love with a divorced dad over six years ago was scary. ‘Divorce’ and ‘dad’ were two huge grown-up concepts for one single woman. Even though I was 39, neither marriage nor motherhood had ever featured in my life and so I had no idea what to expect. Our lives had been on very different paths before we met.

I decided to take a risk on him though and it sure paid off, I couldn’t be happier. I wanted to share my tips on how to thrive while dating a divorced dad in case it’s a risk you’re thinking about taking.

It’s OK not to come first in his life all the time

When you date a dad, there’s a fear that you have to compete with his children for his time and attention. With this mentality, you’re always going to lose. No, you aren’t always going to be his number one priority in life but nor should you be.

I knew early on, that one of the reasons I loved him so much were his sound values. I found that the better a dad he was, the more I loved him. This makes it easy for me to support him to be there as much as he can for them without feeling hard done by or like I’m in second place. He knows he is free to be there for them as much as he can without feeling he’s letting me down. In return, he makes it easy for me by making me feel loved and secure. The kids and I have been in each other’s lives for a long time now and there are times when they need to come first, but there are occasions when they recognise that I need to come first and we’re all cool with that.

If you have a needy personality, then I’m going to suggest that dating a divorced parent isn’t for you. You have to be able to let them be the best parent they can be. Ultimately, I knew I wouldn’t want to date someone who was an uncaring dad, that would be a huge turn off, so supporting him came easy. I feel proud of him every time we celebrate his kids’ successes.

 

Give him the space to heal

I’ve never been married and before this relationship hadn’t had a relationship longer than a few years. Divorce wasn’t something I’d ever experienced close up. I arrived on the scene quite a few years down the line after the divorce but the aftermath is like grief. So while we were giddy in love in the early stages of our relationship, there were moments when past pain and emotions would come to the surface. It’s really important to give them the space to heal. You may wonder why can he be so sad when your relationship is so good but it can take years for that pain to heal and you can’t speed it along or ignore it. Just be there for them and allow them to grieve.

If the grieving is taking over the joy of your own growing relationship, then you may need to confront the fact that he may just not be ready to be with someone else.

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Take it slowly with his kids

For me the key thing about building a relationship with his kids was to let things develop slowly and organically, like any relationship and not try to force or rush things. They may not like you at first. Don’t hold it against them and certainly don’t take it personally although of course it probably feels personal. Don’t try and take the place of their mother. Your relationship with them is already unique and special and you don’t need to force it to be something it isn’t. I relish the title of ‘dad’s girlfriend’. It’s not a relationship you get to experience very often and when you do, it’s a really special one.

 

Don’t view their past as baggage

It would be easy to sigh and wish they came without all the baggage. It’s tempting I know. But for me, it’s his past that has made him more emotionally mature and a better communicator. He knows what he wants from a relationship now and together we have been able to create a healthy relationship that works for both of us.

 

Find your own rhythm as a couple

He had been married so long, there were things about his lifestyle that I could tell were remnants of his married days. I had been single for so long, that I found it hard to shake off my own set ways. When we came together, we had to learn how to spend time together in a way that worked for both of us by giving each other the space to do this. Eventually, you find your own rhythm as a couple and shake off the old ways from your past lives.

 

 

 

 

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Online Dating Photographers
Online Dating Photographers
Online Dating Photographers
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👑Originality is King 👑 The more original your dating profile and pics, the more success you’ll have on the apps. Research backs this up. But how do you create dating photos that capture your unique, special voice and vibe? Start with this simple, but powerful, question: How do I stand out from other people? Write it all down - passions, interests, inspirations, values, vibe. All of it. And use that as your framework to create your profile pics. Think about how you can visually capture your story in your photos using props, clothes, body language, locations, vibe and attitude. It’s challenging to do this, but have fun with it. It’ll show in your pics. You have been watching Hey Saturday, the OG Dating Photographers. All photos taken by Hey Saturday photographers #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos #explore #explorepages
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Great profile pics attract attention. Authentic ones keep it 🔥 The biggest reason people don’t get second dates, according to Match, is because they look nothing like their profile pics. And yeah, no you aren’t going to be able to win them over on the date with your sparkling personality sadly … because, before they’ve even sat down, they feel deceived by you. And that ain’t a good look on a date. People want relationships with trustworthy people. Don’t blow it. Keep it real. You have been watching Hey Saturday, the OG Dating Photographers. #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos #explore #explorepages
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✨We are all gorgeous all the time always✨ Dating photoshoot fear? You got this… You have been watching Hey Saturday, the happiest dating photo shoots. #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos #explore #explorepages
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What are you into? Have fun with your profile pics and use them to visually show people the stuff you love doing and the kind of places you love going. They’ll go down a treat on a dating app near you. Creating your dating app pics could be a whole adventure not a chore… You have been watching Hey Saturday, the happiest dating photo shoots. All photos taken by Hey Saturday photographers, UK & US. #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos #explore #explorepages
Whoop! Reliving happy moments from last month when I was visiting LA and was hanging out in Abbot Kinney, the Arts District Downtown and Silver Lake, all fab Hey Saturday locations. These gorgeous shots, captured by Vanessa, were taken in the Arts District and I’m loving the energy, colour and good vibes. Photo credit: Vanessa for Hey Saturday, Los Angeles. All photos taken by US & UK Hey Saturday photographers. You have been watching Hey Saturday, the happiest dating photoshoots. #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos #explore #explorepages #ᴇxᴘʟᴏʀᴇʀᴇᴇʟs
The Two Key Ingredients for a Great Dating Profile 📣 new blog post alert 📣 A new study has just dropped that encourages dating app users to embrace originality when creating their dating profile text. Just as I encourage our clients to visually show how they stand out from others in their profile pictures, this study has backed up what dating experts, like James Preece, have been saying all along too… Lose the generic, cliché-ridden text and share something meaningful instead - like what makes you special/different from everyone else. The researchers attempted to understand what precisely makes for compelling profile text. They found that highly original text tended to contain one or more of the following 5 elements: • Metaphorical expressions (e.g. “I’m a rock-star at cooking curries” vs “I’m a good cook”) • Vivid descriptions & imagery ….. .. Head to the blog to read more - link in bio. You have been watching Hey Saturday, the happiest dating photoshoots. #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos #explore #explorepages #ᴇxᴘʟᴏʀᴇʀᴇᴇʟs
Love this tried and tested hack for our clients who aren’t feeling ‘enough’ the day of their dating photoshoot. The moment they take hold of something that brings them joy - their camera, their yoga mat, their boxing gloves, their paintbrush or whatever it may be - they immediately relax, smile and feel at ease with themselves. I love this moment so much and it creates such great profile pics ✨ All photos taken by US & UK Hey Saturday photographers. You have been watching Hey Saturday, the happiest dating photoshoots. #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos #explore #explorepages #ᴇxᴘʟᴏʀᴇʀᴇᴇʟs
These dating photos are so my jam. I’m adoring the bold colour and variety of backgrounds. Shouts out to Suze, who shot these on the streets of Clifton Village in Bristol. Photo credit: Suze for Hey Saturday, Bristol You have been watching Hey Saturday, the happiest dating photoshoots. #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos #explore #explorepages
If your dating app pics make people smile, they’re going to feel happy while looking at your profile. That means they are waaaaay more likely to want to reach out and connect with you. And that’s the kind of response we love ✨ All photos taken by US & UK Hey Saturday photographers. You have been watching Hey Saturday, the happiest dating photoshoots. #singleandhappy #modernlove #mindset #loveyourself #datingwithapurpose #datingadvice #datinglife #profilepictures #profilepic #profilepics #profilephoto #onlinedating #datingphototips #happylife #happysingle #relationshipgoals #personalbrandingtips #datingapp #datingapps #datingadviceformen #datingadviceforwomen #profilephotography #visualstorytelling #onlinedatingphotographer #datingphotos #explore #explorepağes