1. Sleeping Arrangements
It’s a no brainer: If your boyfriend is moving in with you, then you’re sharing a bed. This is awesome and very adult of you, but if you have a little one in the house who likes to crawl into your bed unannounced you might want to find creative ways to stop that from happening, like joining her in the pink twin bed or booting your man to the couch. No one likes a bed stealer, but it’s not cool to just ice out your kid because your boyfriend moved in.
2. Attire
Are your kids used to walking around in their undies? Ya might want to buy them cute new robes to wear at the breakfast table. And your boyfriend might be used to walking around in his boxers or sans a shirt, but now there’s little unassuming eyes everywhere.
3. Co-parenting
After years of raising the kids on your own under your roof there’s suddenly another grownup opinion in the home. YIKES! This can take some getting used to. You say no dessert until homework is finished, but he said it was OK to have ice cream while doing homework. Your son mouthed off and you decided to go with your tried-and-true punishment: No iPad or TV for two days. But your boyfriend thinks grounding him for a week is more severe.
Before you start fighting over the rules and regulations of parenting, maybe you should discuss them outright so you’re both on the same page. It’s important to keep your child’s routine and expectations, but it’s also crucial to respect and value the other adult in the house when it comes to the kiddos. If you moved him in, it’s pretty serious, right? Go ahead and blend the family … but that means sharing the otherwise, single parenting.
4. Me Time
Just because your boyfriend is moving in doesn’t mean you have to forfeit your precious me time. He isn’t another child to take care of (hopefully), so go right ahead and veg out, watching SATC reruns. If your kid is with his dad every other Saturday, by all means keep that routine manicure appointment. Truth is, your guy probably wants some free time too. Everyone needs alone time.
5. Your Ex
If you have an active ex involved in your kid’s life, then be sure to introduce your boyfriend to him. If your ex moved his GF in and she was going to be sleeping under the same roof as your kid, you’d want the same courtesy. If your child is used to living alone with you, be sure to keep your Friday night movie date on the couch, just invite your boyfriend to join in. It’s about keeping things the same but lining them with glitter.
