Right In The Baby Maker

So I caught your attention with a quote from a Will Ferrell movie and an image of a bear punching another bear in the nuts. At least I know my audience. What I really wanted to write about was one of the themes that coming up on all the dating sites and now, for no reason at all, in many of my conversations with folks. "So Joe. How do you feel about dating a woman that already has kids?" Over and over again the sites demanded I explain in more detail about what role kids played in my relationship/match choices. So I wanted to break that down a bit and share my thoughts.

Kids are awesome! I do not have any of my own but I have spent my fair share babysitting for friends and I do have younger brothers and sisters. I have also worked with kids of all ages at church, VBS, summer camps, youth group, etc. I am well familiar with the trouble kids can cause and the joy they can bring to your otherwise pathetic life. Do I want kids? Sure. Do I need to have my own? No. Don't tell my mom. She wants as many grand kids as she can get and I would love to have her be their grandma, I just don't know if it's in the cards.

I would totally date a woman that already has her own kids. I am not a young man here. At almost thirty, I thought by now I would already have a couple of my own, so how can I judge someone who already does? I have also found that I am really good with other people's kids. I have some friends that have younger kids (1 and 3) and I think they are the best. I am "Uncle Joe" and I couldn't be happier spending time with them even when it involves watching the same episode of Sid the Science Kid four times in a row.

I was asked today about the possibility of being with a woman that can't have kids. I am fine with that too. My parents adopted so I know that can work out, but I am also fine with no kids. (again, keep my mom in the dark on this.) My response to the question was that as long as she and I are happy together, I would be fine loving other people's kids. I would love them if they were here, but I am in no hurry to have my own.