17-year-old begs dad not to date until she goes to college after years of him cycling through girlfriends: 'I just want him and I to spend time together.'

When he has a girlfriend, he doesn't think about anything else.

It's generally considered uncouth to tell anyone in your life that you don't like who they're dating, and you wish they wouldn't date that person. How many people do you know who hate their friend's boyfriend and have hated him for years, yet they keep that fact from their friend so they don't hurt her feelings? I know enough to know it's not just a one-off thing! I don't think the world would be better if everyone went around openly hating on their friend's partners, but it is a strange world we live in where someone can pretend to like their friend's boyfriend for years, and the second they break up, they tell her that they hated him the whole time. 

It's one thing to dislike your friend's partner for no reason. It's a totally different thing to feel emotional about your parent constantly dating someone new, and putting you on the back burner. If a friend blows you off for their boyfriend or girlfriend, it hurts, but you can always hang out with another friend. If your dad is constantly hanging out with his girlfriend and doesn't prioritize making time for you, it's much more complicated, because you've only got one dad. Divorced and single parents have to constantly grapple with balancing their dating life and their parenting life, because it can really hurt their kids if they are always choosing their girlfriend over them. At the same time, having a kid shouldn't entirely stop their parent from dating…right?