Dating single moms in your 20s, did it turn out well?

I (34M) have been single for quite a while now. A number of relationships have failed, because I have a daughter (16F) who I have been raising by myself since she was 2, and potential partners were put off at having a relationship due to the fact that my daughter came as a package deal. Fast forward to now, and a recent reunion with my former teenage sweetheart (note: She isn't the mother of my daughter)... She is the cousin of my best friend, and we were reunited at my best friend's wedding. We instantly clicked and spent the evening reminiscing about our past together, and we were having a wonderful evening. Everything felt right, and I started to feel my old feelings reignite for her. By the end of the night we kissed, and we've since met up 2-3 times a week. We've spoken about our feelings for each other and we want to give our relationship together a second go. The only reason that we broke up the first time around was because of how young we both were and how neither of us were mentally mature enough at the time for a committed relationship. But we've both grown and matured since those years, and we both now have a better understanding of our emotions. I've always felt as though she was the one true love of my live, and I have spent years regretting how our immaturity in our youth made us drift apart. But I feel as though this is a kind of fate at work and that we're meant to be together. We've been given this opportunity, and neither of us want to waste it. However, we both also have concerns about the complications that can arise from rekindling a relationship with a past love. I am wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation, and what advise you can give? Thank you very much! Oh, and a side note. I have already spoken to my daughter. She wants to see me happy, and she fully supports me on wanting to rekindle this relationship. submitted by /u/Professional-Duck927 [link] [comments]

Almost every post about dating has this advice among the top. That you shouldn't worry about relationships, instead enjoy life by yourself. So how does one do it? As far as I know, love and sex and one of the most enjoyable things in life a human can experience. But okay let's overlook that for the sake of argument. What are fun activities you can do alone? And how can I enjoy them if I don't care about the activity itself. submitted by /u/crowbarguy92 [link] [comments]

Where do you meet women who are also serious about dating — outside of the apps? Is cold approaching still a thing? If so, how do I do it without being weird? I’m an Indian guy in the U.S., early 30s decent/cute-looking (so I’ve been told), and ready to date more intentionally. I’m not into flings — I’d genuinely like to meet someone and see where it goes, ideally toward a meaningful partnership. I know apps exist and social clubs/events help, but I’m curious submitted by /u/Worth-Scientist-9628 [link] [comments]

I have two young sons five and two . I take care of myself physically working at six . I also eat healthy and rarely drink . I don’t really wanna go to bars and stuff. I’m worried I’ll never find someone else. submitted by /u/Repulsive-Dealer7957 [link] [comments]

~this is more so venting~ A week ago I told my boyfriend that I can’t get off during sex. Before I could even further elaborate he immediately broke up with me and walked out. Some insight of how I am feeling with some background to the situation- I feel that when we do the deed the main focus is him I do all the things for him yet I usually get nothing in return. I did bring this up awhile ago and he started doing more for me but that faded after months. Anytime we get into arguments (which isnt often but when we do he blows up, tells me to go be with someone else) he disappears for weeks to months at a time and I’ve always tried to reconcile with him for him to ignore me and when he does come back around it’s either him going off on me saying I didn’t try hard enough even though I’ve texted and called. I’ve always stood my ground and told him to look and actually read the texts I’ve sent if he didn’t just delete them and look at his call history. Or he’ll come back around and act like nothing happened. Moral of the story I’m getting tired of always being blamed, not getting things in return, being told I didn’t try hard enough, getting ghosted for however long after a disagreement. This time around I decided I wasn’t reaching out I wasn’t going to try to fight for some who wouldn’t do the same for me. I just can’t stop thinking about this situation and I need to for my own sanity. How do I stop? submitted by /u/Ancient_House_8831 [link] [comments]

I’ve been dating my boyfriend for almost 8 months and about 3 months ago we started having fights constantly. I have this feeling he’s trying to control me, won’t let me have male followers on ig, i can’t drink alcohol because he rarely drinks, i can’t go out with my girlfriends to bars or parties, i only can see them if we go for a lunch or a movie date, so resentment has started building up from my side. When we met i told him that i value my friendships and individuality outside the relationship but he’s acting like i never said that. Last saturday we went to the beach and he spent the whole day criticising me, then we went to his house, slept together and when i decided to eat he said i was chewing loudly and that i sounded like an animal, he was very rude.. i had enough.. i told him i was gonna leave and i did. I decided not to contact him for a while because i felt very disrespected, and also i am the one that reaches out everytime we have an argument. Im tired of him stonewalling me. I can’t understand how can he go a whole week without speaking with me knowing i was really hurt when i left his house. Before leaving i told him “don’t forget that im the one that always tries to solve things when we argue”. I don’t know what to do at this point, i feel very disappointed and frustrated. TL;DR: i (28F) got into a fight with my boyfriend (36M) and we haven’t spoken for a week submitted by /u/Which_Buddy [link] [comments]

Blank account, because IRL friends know my reddit profile. For some context, I’ve never have been in a relationship or have any sexual experiences. This mostly may have to do with my upbringing, being homeschooled, with few friends until I hit 20. I wasn’t a loser, I had just been really focusing on my arts, and had gotten some really big opportunities come my way, but not a lot of friends, I never cared to try either. I was very content with myself. By the time I hit 23, everything had started to change massively, I made some friends that sparked a chain reaction into more friends, new accomplishments, etc. Now, I’m very socially confident, emotionally in-tune, kind, I care about doing the right thing, I’m very thoughtful, I have no judgment for the world, I get along with everyone. I don’t know how to say this, but it’s like I’m viewed as some mystical creature that people love. I’ve tested photos of myself on rating sites, and I get an above average score, I also get plenty of compliments on the street, from men and women. I don’t want to self praise this much, but I say to put it in perspective that my problem doesn’t seem to be with any of these things. I wouldn’t say I have a low libido, I would guess that it is very high. Some women seem to have been infatuated with me, but it always ends up with me sort of putting them in the friend zone, as I don’t feel like I have any sexual energy, or at least I’m bad at displaying it. I have a look that suggests I should be sexy. At clubs girls have pulled me in to dance with them, but ultimately you could almost just imagine me as a fun introspective gay guy lol. Am I interested in them? Yes, but I don’t pursue or make any moves. I’ve had dates that fizzle out for the same reason. I think maybe the root to the problem is that I value being respectful more than wanting to sexually connect with anyone, I prefer close bonds with people. I don’t truly believe they’re mutually exclusive, but I don’t know how to chase a sexual urge. I don’t necessarily need sex or a relationship, but I get more worried that as I age it will become extremely difficult for me to get a relationship in the future. So, loss aversion is my main dating motivation right now, which I don’t think helps my situation. I have an intuition that maybe I need a dating coach, or that maybe I need to just start being more forward sexually, but it feels kind of icky to me. I don’t really know what to do. Maybe you all have some insights or helpful antidotes. TLDR: Virgin. Nothing is wrong with me, I get opportunities, but don’t escalate. Either I don’t know how, or don’t have the motivation to turn a potential close friendship into a sexual one. submitted by /u/ThreeGreenPortals [link] [comments]

I'm 20M and am a virgin, even though I’ve had relationships. Lately I've been having a lot of thoughts about sex before and after marriage. I’m a pretty committed Christian. I know that traditionally, according to my religion I should wait, it's just lately I've been rethinking what my religion actually teaches about sexuality. And let’s be honest, my desire to have sex now has grown a lot lol. But on the other hand, even setting religion aside, I always feel like I wanna be able to offer that to my wife, the fact she'll be the first and only woman I sleep with. But on the other hand part of me just doesn’t want to wait that long. Part of me wants to go hook up tomorrow. So I honestly don’t know. I'm wondering, the guys that waited till marriage, how was it? Would you do it again? How do you feel about it? And on the other hand, if you don’t think waiting til marriage is wise, why? So I'm genuinely seeking advice from men that waited, as well as opinions from men who disagree with waiting. I’m open to any perspective. submitted by /u/Naive_Resolution4186 [link] [comments]

What made this experience THE BEST in your life? submitted by /u/Head_Baker6201 [link] [comments]

So, this is my first time dating anyone before, so that’s not going to help. Basically, I’ve asked this girl out and she ended up agreeing to date. But I think there’s a big issue here, she doesn’t like to go anywhere. This means I can’t arrange a ‘date’ because she prefers to stay at home. Even her best friend had to convince her over and over again to try and go out, and she was only successful a handful of times. I don’t want to be THAT pushy with her, and force her to go out, but I feel like I don’t know what to do because (I know this is all new to me but) I think if were to hang out on a more one-on-one occasion, it would be great. So, yeah, I’m stumped. I just thought I’d leave it a while to see if she might change her mind, but I doubt it.. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. submitted by /u/Past_Procedure_6660 [link] [comments]

TLDR: parents offered us their old condo 2 hours away for a great price. My bf recieved a temp position at his job that will last another 3 months and he wants to release for a year. We would save $300 - $800/month if we take my parents offer. Bf isn't budging on moving and saving the money. If we don't take their offer on the condo, they will have it sold by September. Our lease ends in august. Both our jobs are transferable to the area. Advice? My bf (29M) received a temp position at his job that makes him happier but he makes less. It only lasts another 3 months before he's back at his regular position (sales at a major call center). He is able to transfer but may not be for the same position he just received. I (27F) work at a clinic that I could potentially transfer positions closer to my parents (2 hours away). Our lease ends in august and my parents offered us their extra condo for low cost rent. They're listing it for sale in September unless we want to rent it from them We would be lowering our rent from $2300 to potentially $1500/month. Before speaking to my parents, we were looking into a place that would be $2055 a month. To me, the savings on rent is a no brainer esp because it's in a very good area of the city. Both our jobs would be minutes away and I'd probably be happier (I hate the city I'm at now and I'm desperate to leave). Also their condo is in the same city as my school I really find this silly, but my bf is pretty much a complete no go on moving or even looking at other opportunities because he likes this temp position. I remind him it's only another 3 months and if we want the lowest rent possible we have to rent long term (12-16 months). After talking for awhile, it's clear that's just what he wants and he's not budging Our relationship is great and we've grown a lot together but it seems both of us are willing to split for wanting different things. I can't understand how he is willing to lose this opportunity and our relationship for a 3 month position but it's not fair for me to bash him on it. I'm between keeping my bf or more finances. Any advice or similar situations? submitted by /u/anxious-bitchious [link] [comments]

She is 30 but said she only has had sex with one guy and that’s because they were dating. That sex is very intimate for her. submitted by /u/hankqueensmustache [link] [comments]

We tried to have a baby for two years, I was told we couldn’t conceive without medication due to PCOS, etc. We had many failed attempts at pregnancy and I pretty much let the idea go that we wouldn’t be having a baby. With a bit of a surprise, last fall, we found out we were pregnant and I was pretty shocked, to say the least. I had a complete freak out, didn’t know if I wanted to keep the baby, worried about our marriage, finances, and my husband constantly reassured me that things would be great and we should be excited! He was thrilled when I told him, like way excited and somewhat confused by my reaction. I was freaking out daily and he said he was going to step up, take care of everything, reassured me our marriage would be stronger than ever, we would be more connected, help with the house (it’s in bad shape, needs some serious help with paint on popcorn ceilings, huge piles of clutter we need to go through, just a lot), would be supportive and helpful with my pregnancy (like rubs and runs to the store for late night cravings) and we wanted to do a partner-supported birth process which includes a lot of hands-on husband involvement and a 12-week course. then he got laid off. Without going into too much detail, we ended up having to downsize vehicles, really dial it in with finances, and we became extremely stressed with a baby coming. At the same time, all of his involvement with the pregnancy disappeared. He gave me more affection and attention before the pregnancy and my hormones make this feel so incredibly personal. He is no longer attempting any intimacy, sexually or otherwise. No cuddles at night, no rubs, no asking about baby updates, lots of video game time, lots of spending time on his phone, he’s told me many times that he needs to decompress and I feel more alone and lonely than ever before and I’ve been talking to him very openly about this. I have a great therapist and my husband and I have had a lot of discussion involving these sensitive topics. I have a lot of empathy for his position and stress, but I feel completely unheard in my role. Then today, he tells me he spends a lot of time on this sub, and feels so bad for the women who are being gaslit, lied to, etc. He seems so involved and invested in all these relationships online, meanwhile, our marriage is on fire. I told him that upsets me and he tells me “I’m not doing anything wrong” which isn’t untrue, but I am so hurt by this empathy for other random women online while I am in my most insecure, vulnerable state and he knows it. I know I’m probably leaving out some things but I hope I can find some help or advice somewhere. I spend so many nights crying myself to sleep, sobbing in the shower, reading baby books alone, and just hoping that things will get better. I’m supposed to be relying on him for a lot of support during labor and delivery and I feel so abandoned. Help? submitted by /u/xnightwolflivesx [link] [comments]

My wife and I have been going through a difficult time over the past few months. She told me she’s felt unappreciated and disconnected, partly because of some choices I made, like changing jobs, which affected our finances briefly, and being more physically affectionate than she wanted during that time. I’ve been trying to address her concerns, but this week, things escalated in a way I wasn’t prepared for. She told me she wanted a divorce and moved her ex-husband into our home. They have three children together, and she reorganized our living space: their youngest is now sharing a room with her ex (formerly our bedroom), and I was moved to a separate room entirely. This all happened while I was at work. A few days later, I went through her phone, something I regret doing, but I discovered a long history of emotional conversations between her and her ex, starting around when she began distancing herself from me. They were discussing their past relationship, saying they loved each other, and planning for him to move back in. She had already started filling out divorce paperwork by early May. When I confronted her, we ended up having a serious talk. She explained that she never wanted to end her first marriage and that she did this for the kids so they didn’t have to grow up in a “broken family”. I understand where she is coming from being raised by a single mother and not knowing her father most of her life but I’m also from a “broken family” where I was abused and I believe that her going back and being in a relationship with him is not right because she is doing it for the wrong reasons and that would only hurt and confuse the children more. I understand the emotional weight behind that, but it’s still been very painful to process. Since then, her ex has left again. She’s been softer toward me and said she’s confused and hurting. She also said she would understand if I chose to leave. I’m still here and trying to find a way to move forward, because this relationship matters a lot to me. Right now, I’m trying to figure out how to navigate the aftermath of what happened. This isn’t the first time her ex has come back into the picture in a disruptive way. I want to move forward thoughtfully, but I’m unsure what that looks like from here. I’m looking for advice from others who’ve navigated a similar situation, how did you approach rebuilding trust, managing shared living spaces, or figuring out if the relationship was still viable? What steps helped you move forward? submitted by /u/ThrowRA_BrokenHearts [link] [comments]

I'm on Hinge and I'll be texting girls the most innocent things, and then they stop replying. It's so random. I promise I'm not saying anything rude, just trying to be light and keep the conversation engaging. It doesn't matter if I ask her out right away or if I try to get to know her a little beforehand, the result is the same. They just stop replying. It's starting to get in my head and making me feel like I'm doing something wrong. This app is driving me insane. submitted by /u/Enough-Locksmith-897 [link] [comments]

I live a pretty isolated life. Work from home, live with my parents, still paying student loans, mostly hobbies from home as well, or with sports that are almost entirely men. I was really shy growing up, so I was invisible to women in my teens and in college I had no clue what to do either. I've "tried" to date all through my 20s with dating apps, and it's failed to bring me a hookup nor a relationship. I've gone on a million first dates but nothing ever sticks. As much as I just wanna get laid, I would also like to find a girlfriend. This is a massive insecurity for me and before you ask, I'm in therapy. I want to be free from this hell before I'm 30. What can I do? submitted by /u/DevilFromDanteMayCry [link] [comments]

I’m 15f. Like if we’re watching a movie or something for example, I’ll snuggle up to him on the couch and lay with him. He’ll kiss me on the forehead and cheek. He tells me he loves me a lot and we hug each other all the time. I feel really loved by him. I feel like other people my age don’t really have as close of relationship like that with their dad (or at least some of my friends have told me that they don’t do this). Is this weird or uncommon, especially cuddling with your dad as a teenager? submitted by /u/Sweet-Flower1502 [link] [comments]

My son is 18M, he recently started dating a new girl [18F] from his school. They went on a date last week and he dropped her home afterwards. Her parents were in the front yard so he went to greet them. The dad asked his daughter how the date went and she said it went well. Then he replied "that's good, you better treat her well". My son said "yes of course". The dad said, "I have no doubt you will, but just in case there are any problems, I have a shotgun in the garage". My son got freaked out and got into his car and came home and told me what happened. About an hour later, the girl's mom called me and apologized for the "misunderstanding" and said that her husband said it "jokingly". I didn't say much and just thanked her and hung up. My son is a bit freaked out and doesn't know if he wants to keep seeing this girl. He is also a bit socially awkward and has difficulty making friends. I want to guide him but I'm not sure what to say. TL;DR My teenage son got a new girlfriend and her dad "jokingly" threatened him with a gun. submitted by /u/CostRains [link] [comments]