From Slate Magazine · Jamilah Lemieux · · 1m 10s
Hate Boyfriend's Kid? New Plan Saves You
Boyfriend's kid causes chaos, move to Europe to escape.
In brief
Boyfriend's kid causes chaos, move to Europe to escape. A woman should break up with her boyfriend who has a child she dislikes to avoid becoming a babysitter for a disruptive kid. Originally reported by Slate Magazine.
The Problem
A woman dates a man with a 6-year-old son she dislikes.
“Gideon has a 6-year-old son, Max, from his previous marriage.”
The Chaos
Max nearly fell from a bookshelf and kicked her shin.
“He nearly got himself killed when he tried to climb a bookshelf.”
The Offer
Gideon gets a job promotion requiring a move to Europe.
“He was offered a promotion at his job that would require him to move to Europe.”
The Dream
The move would let them escape the U.S. and leave Max mostly out of their lives.
“It would be a dream come true in that we could get out of the U.S. before things really get bad.”
The Fear
She worries Gideon will abandon Max and her.
“If this kid is already having behavioral challenges, how might the loss of his Weekend Dad make things more difficult?”
The Question
Should she stay with Gideon for the promotion?
“Should I stay with my significant other as long as he takes the promotion?”
The Risk
Gideon might leave Max with her for years.
“If this cross continental move would allow Gideon to cover ALL of the expenses related to Max’s care and he saw him for vacations, I would temper my judgment significantly…maybe.”
The Advice
Break up with Gideon to fix the child’s behavior.
“The best thing you can do for all parties is to break up with Gideon and encourage him to attend to whatever challenges his son may be having.”
The Consequence
She ends up breaking up with Gideon.
“Get your shit together, girl. There’s plenty of men in Europe, no need to import a loser from the U.S.”
The Lesson
Don’t date someone with a child you dislike.
“If you seriously date a person with a child, there is no way of guaranteeing that you will have limited interactions with that child.”
The Future
She finds a new partner in Europe.
“There’s plenty of men in Europe, no need to import a loser from the U.S.”
The Real Problem
Gideon is disinterested in his son.
“Can you ever trust the affections of a man who seems to be ambivalent, at best, and completely disinterested, at worst, when it comes to his own child?”
The short version
A woman should break up with her boyfriend who has a child she dislikes to avoid becoming a babysitter for a disruptive kid.
