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Dear Level
Are You Man Enough to Be a Stepdad?
Dating someone with kids is not for the faint of heart
Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.
The trope has been around since forever: A feisty kid, fed up with life, gets into it with a parental figure. Once the kid has had enough, he goes nuclear. “You’re not my real dad!”
You’ve seen it in Bebe’s Kids. And between Will and Uncle Phil on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It’s even the premise of that one Hitman Sammy Sam song. But it’s definitely a real-life scenario.
If you’re in a relationship with someone who has children, you just might face the same predicament. Wondering how to navigate? I’ve got a few words of advice. You could say that I have some expertise on the subject.
I grew up with two siblings. My older brother was my father’s son from a previous relationship. He split his time between our house and his mom’s. His mom was super chill with my parents; I barely…
