Ask Layla

‘Every time I think about venturing out into the dating world again I feel terrified’

Ask Layla: I want to dip my toes back into the dating scene, but after a long-term relationship and with two kids and a demanding job, I’m struggling to see how I can make it all work. Have I left it too late?

Psychologist Layla Collins: “Expect that potential partners will also carry their own history and baggage, offering opportunities for mutual enrichment, albeit requiring flexibility and negotiation.”

Question

I separated over two years ago from my long-term partner after thirteen years together. We have two kids aged 10 and 8 which we are both very much there for, but given that I’m in the family home and he lives in a much smaller space, I do the majority of the day-to-day parenting.

The first couple of years have been a rollercoaster of readjustment, juggling work, kids, schedules, handovers, and managing everyone's well-being ...