She Got Kids

I was talking to a male friend a few weeks ago about the ever continuing insanity that is my relationship with my baby daddy. While trying to be supportive, this friend makes the statement that he (baby daddy) should have been more responsible when dating me because as a single mom I'm more vulnerable. EXCUSE ME!?! He tried to explain his way out of that one, but the damage was done. I was quite offended. Since when did being a single mother make me "vulnerable"? If anything it has taught me more about what I can accomplish on my own, what type of mate I can/want to be and what I want in a relationship.

I could see if he had said something to the effect of BD should have been more responsible in dealing with my children. That would have made more sense to me. I make it clear to people that I date, that they are dating me and not my children. If the relationship becomes serious, I will eventually introduce them, however, my children have parents, and therefore I am not looking for any replacements. If you make it to the point of being introduced to the children, then their feelings have to be considered and boundaries established so as to spare them any undue harm. BD interacted with my children, even babysat for me when I had to work late. They grew to love him and looked forward to seeing him. My son at one point asked me to work late so they could spend time together. (Or it could have been a ploy to play X-Box. It's all the same to him.) And of course, I had a child with him. That's where things got really muddy and ugly. He didn't want to spend time with the kids any more and didn't feel it was his "responsibility" to watch them for me. Funny, because it was all good when you were pretending to be single and you were hitting that. I guess he must have been having a moment, because he does watch them on occasion and he has invited my son to RoP, something I'm not so convinced is the right thing to do. You really have to be careful about who is modeling "manhood" for your man-child. But that's a whole 'nother subject.

I use to be the type that my male friends would always say things like, "I can't wait for the day when some man tames your ass". When did I become the one they take pity on?