Hi @ChloeBeau, welcome to ReachOut and thank you so much for sharing your story. Dating can be a challenge with kids still at home, so you are totally not alone in that. As you said, it is a normal part of life that you are eventually going to be dating again. It must be so difficult for you to juggle dating on one hand and your son's behaviour on another. It may be something you have tried, however it might be beneficial to try to understand where your son is coming from. While the situation may not change and it is something your son will have to get used to it, it may help for you to acknowledge how your son is feeling (e.g hurt, angry) and make him feel reassured and understood. For example, saying that 'it is my house' could imply that he is worried about another man taking over. He could also have other common concerns that you will spend less time with him or that he will be expected to listen to your new partner. You could chat about these concerns but also ways that the situation could be made more comfortable for everyone. You may not be able to make the situation more comfortable for him, however it will at least help your son to feel like he has some control over this situation and that you deeply care about how he is feeling. For example, you could both agree that you will respect your son by doing XYZ but you also expect that your son will be respectful by doing XYZ too. It is such a tricky situation and no right answer. I think it is great that you are trying to catch onto this early though!
If you are looking for more support or to chat this through further, there is a telephone line called Parent Line. It provides counselling and a wide range of resources to chat through any parenting concerns. All the best and please feel welcome to keep us updated!
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