Dear Christine,
I am recently dating someone that I really like. I have a list of deal breakers that she actually got annoyed with me when I listed them to her on our first date.
Deal Breakers = No Smokers, No Drug Users and No Alcoholics. Those are the big ones.
On a lesser scale, must have a decent job, be fairly intelligent, no fussy eaters and must want kids in the future.
We have two little glitches. One, she doesn’t think I should have voiced my deal breakers so early in a relationship. Two, she doesn’t want kids and I really do. I always have hoped to have at least one child, perhaps two.
So the following questions are, is it ok to let people know what I want and expect in a relationship? Can you change another persons expectations for the future? Can I get her to change her mind about kids when she seems pretty firm?
Deal Breaking and Dating in Dexter
Dear Deal Breakers and Dating,
Keep dating! It may seem too early to bring up deal breakers early on, but it sure saves you time and heart ache! Now you know that this woman is definitely not a keeper for a committed relationship including children! Time to move on.
One of the advantages I found of dating once I reached my early 30s is that I no longer wanted to play “the game.” I didn’t want to try to change anyone else, but instead, I wanted to let dates know who I know I am and what I need to make a relationship work. For me! The might have been fun in teens and twenties, but it grows old. You may have offended her by getting serious too quickly, but you also learned that she’s really not into kids. And you are. You both now know that about each other and you haven’t wasted 3 years living together and fighting all the time.
Have you ever tried to change something about yourself? Like lose weight? Quit a bad habit? How did it go for you? Was it quick and easy? Did it just take a couple of reminders to yourself, a couple of changes to your routine and the weight was gone or you gave up the bad habit? Hmmm. I didn’t think so. And this was a change YOU wanted for you!
So, if you try to change someone else who is OK with how they are (she doesn’t want kids) and now you make it your mission to convince her to be a loving mom to only 1 or 2 children, how will that go? Smoothly? Easily? What will that do to the children that you want her to help you raise? Will they feel loved and cared for by her? Or might she feel resentful towards them and you?
Be glad you know yourself so well. It’s not romantic to tell your date all your non-negotiables the first or second date, but it does move the process of finding a life partner along well. Be who you are, with no apologies! Keep dating!
And keep me posted, OK?
Christine Cantrell, PhD
Psychologist