Kids make everything more expensive. Suddenly, instead of paying for two meals at the restaurant, you're covering a bill of 5+ menu items, soft drinks, and a couple of kids' menu rejects. Although the joys of parenting often outweigh the costs, sometimes, the lines can be blurred on who is allowed to be a parent when the kids aren't technically yours. Stepparents and chosen father figures have a tough role to fill, and often, your financial situation is tied to your level of parenting involvement.
This mother of two children was happy to let her boyfriend of 3 years bankroll her child's existence—paying for rent for a big house, groceries, and everything else the kids required—but when he tried to officially step up as the father figure, that crossed a line for her.
You'd think that once you start paying for your girlfriend's kids, you're allowed to be the father figure that steps up, but perhaps this woman only wanted him for his checkbook, because she certainly didn't want any of his opinions on parenting.
The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.
