Former Shortcel
Some days you win
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2025
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I had my son when I was 19 and have been raising him solo ever since. I love him with all my heart and I wouldn’t change a thing about him. I am white and he is unambiguously mixed race. I’m 25 now and have gotten to where I know what I want in a relationship and in a man so I am getting back out there looking for a LTR to settle down with.
The problem I am facing now is I have met some guys who seem great, but when I show them a photo of my son they get scared off. They’ll either ghost me or suddenly the next day tell me they don’t see the relationship going forward or just ask to be FWB. This is after multiple dates, I only show the photo in person to men I’m comfortable with (I don’t show photos of my son to men I haven’t met and I don’t have photos of him in my profile). Sometimes I can see the interest fade from their face the moment they see the photo.
It makes me sad that these are men I trusted to show my personal life to, and they react like this. I make it clear in my profile and before we meet that I do have a child, but no details past that. They all say they’re cool with it. I make sure the men are politically liberal, they say they’re not racist, they say they support interracial relationships… then this. Are they just lying about all that?
Any other women in this position, how do you deal with it? Should I just put a photo of my son and I together on my profile and block out his face? I feel like guys swipe right no matter what so that won’t change anything. Should I be more upfront about my son?
The problem I am facing now is I have met some guys who seem great, but when I show them a photo of my son they get scared off. They’ll either ghost me or suddenly the next day tell me they don’t see the relationship going forward or just ask to be FWB. This is after multiple dates, I only show the photo in person to men I’m comfortable with (I don’t show photos of my son to men I haven’t met and I don’t have photos of him in my profile). Sometimes I can see the interest fade from their face the moment they see the photo.
It makes me sad that these are men I trusted to show my personal life to, and they react like this. I make it clear in my profile and before we meet that I do have a child, but no details past that. They all say they’re cool with it. I make sure the men are politically liberal, they say they’re not racist, they say they support interracial relationships… then this. Are they just lying about all that?
Any other women in this position, how do you deal with it? Should I just put a photo of my son and I together on my profile and block out his face? I feel like guys swipe right no matter what so that won’t change anything. Should I be more upfront about my son?
