When you're a single parent, it can be tough to juggle your duties to your child alongside trying to meet new people - and it can be notoriously tricky to work out exactly when it's the right time to introduce your kids to the special someone in your life.
But one woman on Reddit has been left fuming over her boyfriend's decision to constantly bring his two-year-old son with him to all of their dates, as she claims it always ruins their evening.
Sharing her story anonymously, the woman explained she has been dating a man named Will for five months, but said his ex-girlfriend always seems to want him to look after their son when the two of them have a night out planned together.
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She said: "So, I met this guy Will five months ago, he's really sweet and loving. He has a two-year-old kid with his baby mama. The problem I have is that whenever we plan on going on out for a date, Will's baby mama would call and demand he take their son to stay with him. They never married so there are no legal custody arrangements in place.
"Every time we plan to go out, she'd call and demand that Will come to pick their son up to stay with him for hours, resulting in our plans being cancelled. I told Will he has to put an end to this because it's affecting how our relationship is progressing and he said he'll try."
The woman and her boyfriend then planned to go out on a dinner date that wouldn't involve the man's son, and the woman was "excited" to finally get some alone time with him - until she arrived at the restaurant and saw the toddler sitting with his dad.
She added: "Last week, he invited me out for dinner at the restaurant. I was excited because he told me he was already at the restaurant so I thought 'His baby mama doesn't know we have plans so she won't wreck them'. I got dressed nicely and did my hair as I was looking forward to some quality time together.
"However, when I arrived at the restaurant, I saw Will and his son there. I felt rage and disappointment washing over me. Will saw me and waved me to come closer but I turned around and walked out. He followed me outside trying to explain but I decided to go home and the date was obviously cancelled."
The man later tried to explain what had happened, but the woman insisted she was "sick" of his ex-girlfriend being "intentionally hurtful" with her parenting decisions.
She said: "Later he texted explaining that his baby mama did it again and demanded he takes their son for the night. I told him I was sick of this woman dictating our life and being intentionally hurtful, but he said I ruined our night after he tried to compromise and he didn't appreciate that.
"Maybe I did but I just wanted a quiet dinner for us both and I'm disappointed that he once again let his baby mama bully him into doing what she wanted."
Commenters on the Reddit post were divided, as while some said her boyfriend needs to fight back and set up a formal custody agreement, others insisted the woman was being out of line by making her partner choose between her and his son.
One said: "Will needs to get his s**t together and get a legal custody agreement. I am guessing that Will is leaning on you to 'play nice' because he thinks you are more reasonable and easier to push over than his ex. Stick to your boundaries."
As another posted: "Never choose a weak person to build a life with. He should have put a custody plan in place long ago."
But a third disagreed, writing: "I get that you want time to just the two of you, but you’re now putting your boyfriend in a situation where he has to choose between you and seeing his son. This is a battle you’ll never win."
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