# Hate Boyfriend's Kid? New Plan Saves You

> Boyfriend's kid causes chaos, move to Europe to escape.
- Title: Hate Boyfriend's Kid? New Plan Saves You · Slate Magazine
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: boyfriend, kid, disruptive, move, europe, breakup, babysitter, stepmother, stepfather, parenting, care, Hate
- Source: Slate Magazine — https://slate.com/advice/2026/09/parenting-advice-dislike-boyfriends-kid.html?via=rss
- Author: Jamilah Lemieux
- Published: 2026-09-25T17:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: boyfriend, kid, disruptive, move, europe, breakup, babysitter, stepmother, stepfather, parenting, care
## 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?
## Key takeaway

A woman should break up with her boyfriend who has a child she dislikes to avoid becoming a babysitter for a disruptive kid.