"I will always put my kids before you": Drama unfurls on Father's Day when 32-year-old single dad texts girlfriend unprompted that he prioritizes his kids, she separates herself

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Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Jul 1, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

Marriage and children, that's what life is all about, right? For a lot of people it is. Regardless of which culture you come from, what year you were born, or your life trajectory, it's common knowledge that everyone just wants a partner to grow old with, and children to raise. Life is long, life is lonely. With other people around, life becomes a little more bearable. But with the wrong people around, life is unbearable.

If you start dating someone with an ex-spouse and children, just be prepared for a more complicated situation. Even the most mature and emotionally intelligent people get trapped in chaos sometimes. 


The people who make your life unbearable may even be your own parents, your siblings, or some other member of the family. In the story below, the protagonist is a woman who got an unexpected text from her boyfriend. Her boyfriend has children, and she always knew that they took precedence in his life, but who needs it shoved down their throat randomly? 

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  • 01

    AITAH for wanting to break up with him for "being a good dad"?

    Cheezburger Image 10523440896
    via Jacob Lund / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    Update is I dumped him. I tried again for like the 100th time to talk to him. What prompted him to say that? What did I do? He just got angry and said I need to
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  • 03
    know my place and why do I have a problem with it when I knew he was a dad going into this. Same old line he's been saying for the past week. I asked if he was
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    Cheezburger Image 10523440640
    via Mladen Zivkovic from Getty Images / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 05
    cheating with his ex and I got called insecure, petty, crazy and others but I remember those. I didn't even bother asking about hypothetical kids. I told him we're
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  • 06
    done and he said he knew I couldn't handle it and to stay away from dads next time. I blocked him. Sent his ex a text letting her know and she saw it but no reply. Which is fine. She'll
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  • 07
    be blocked too if anything weird happens. I'm going to miss the kids and that's the weirdest part. They're just gone. The graduations, birthdays and other
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  • 08
    milestones gone. So yeah. No more dads for me I can't say this was a learning experience it just S... ks.
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  • 09
    Me (30F) and Kyle (32M) had been in what I thought was a good relationship for 3 years. He has children and for privacy I won't say anything about his children. He does have an ex-wife
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  • 10
    around our age and she's alright. We aren't friends but we get along and she trusted me enough to ask me to do things if they couldn't. We were going to move in together but obviously not anymore.
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  • 11
    It was Father's Day that this happened. He spent his day with his kids and I spent mine with my dad. Kyle texted me that he will always put his kids before me.
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  • 12
    OK? Totally unprompted. I was confused. My Dad asked me if anything happened and I'm like not that I know? It was weird and I didn't reply because yeah I
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    Cheezburger Image 10523441152
    via izzetugutmen from Getty Images / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 14
    know? You should? I'm still confused. We talk about it like the next day and he just said I needed to know. I'm like yeah but did I DO anything? Did one of the
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  • 15
    kids say anything? Like help me correct my behavior. Like why did you say that when it's to be expected? I know he's a good dad that puts his kids first it's why I wanted to have my own with him.
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  • 16
    He kept saying that I just need to know my place in his life, need to know the hierarchy. It was really weird and there's been no
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  • 17
    resolution. Now when I try to talk about that he gets angry and says I'm being petty or jealous and I always knew the deal.
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  • 18
    It feels weird to say it but it almost felt hurtful. Like some type of passive aggressive move and he just wanted to start a fight or put me down. If I've never done
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  • 19
    anything and have been respectful why say that? I know I don't come first in his life and it never bothered me until he
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  • 20
    decided I needed to know that from his own mouth? I'm rethinking the relationship and just removing myself from it.
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  • 21
    TravisBlink NTA, sounds like some weird passive aggressive stuff to me as well. Did he spend father's day with his ex (and
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  • 22
    the kids)? If so, that might be where this is coming from. I would demand to know what he meant as well, and would probably break up if he wouldn't explain.
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family drama drama toxic relationships lol couples love family breakup reddit thread Reddit funny dating
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