Anonymous wrote:I was the woman in that situation. I adored the guy, but having a family was more important to me so I ended it.
Eventually he came around and we did end up getting married and having our own child.
I also made it clear this wasn’t a favor he was doing for me, he would still be equally as responsible (I know couples where the husband didn’t want kids and did it as a “favor”, so mom takes on all the childcare. I was not willing to do that).
We’re happy, although blended families are hard. Sometimes I do wish I had waited for a man without his own kids, but I don’t know if he and I would have gotten along as well as H and I do.
Anonymous wrote:The only time I’ve really seen this work out was with one of those guys who is kind of a big kid himself. First wife (my friend) was happy to have another responsible adult involved with her kids. Her boys seem to genuinely love their baby sister, and her ex seems to have finally grown up a little in his forties.
Most of the time though, it seems like a disaster. The older guy is used to being in charge at work and at home, and he has already done this. Meanwhile, all first time moms go through a stage of motherhood where they think they can do everything perfectly, and they aren’t going to listen to him. At the same time, they want him to be waaaaay more involved than he was/is with his kids from his first marriage. The older kids get jealous and upset. It seems like a mess all around.
Anonymous wrote:The obvious solution is for these men in their 40s to date women their own age. Then there’s a much higher chance that they’ll already have their own kids or not want them, and that they won’t be desperate to marry.
Anonymous wrote:The obvious solution is for these men in their 40s to date women their own age. Then there’s a much higher chance that they’ll already have their own kids or not want them, and that they won’t be desperate to marry.