Custody And Cocktails

Dating while parenting? Yeah… that’s not a vibe. That’s a whole operating system. And on this episode, we’re breaking down modern dating for single parents, co-parenting energy, and the real rules of romance when you’ve got kids, responsibilities, and no time for nonsense. When bedtime runs the schedule, the sitter moves like a sneaker drop, and the school won’t stop calling, trust me—dating hits a little different.

I’m pouring up that classic custody-and-cocktails energy—relief, resilience, and Brooklyn-grade real talk—to show how healthy relationships, dating etiquette, and emotional maturity actually thrive when respect and flexibility are the non-negotiables.

We’re calling out the difference between casual dating and dating someone who has kids. From meltdown forecasts to the midnight science-project ambush, here’s the truth: your time is borrowed, your money is already spoken for, and your peace? Premium real estate. That’s why the real green flag is simple: somebody who treats your boundaries like important paperwork.

We break down the parent-dating etiquette too:

• Don’t parade your kids on the first date like you brought a plus-one.

• Don’t hide them like top-secret files.

• Don’t rush introductions—earn the name first.

• And speak your actual availability with confidence.

Then we hit the cocktail breakdown—cider for grown moments, lemonade for transparency, ginger for curveballs, mint for the fresh breaths you forget you need, and ice for the cool-down when parenting chaos spikes. All of it doubles as a toolkit for intentional love, dating with boundaries, and staying sane while raising kids.

The bottom line? Having kids doesn’t make you “less dateable”—it makes you more intentional, more self-aware, and more aligned with what real partnership looks like. You love harder. You choose wiser. You protect stronger. And the right person moves with that rhythm—not against it.

Grab the Free Pour Pack and dive deeper into the full Brunch Behavior experience. If this hit home, follow the show, share it with a parent-friend, and leave a review to help more people find their way to smarter love, healthier boundaries, and dating that actually respects your reality.

Chapters

• 0:00 Dating While Parenting, Defined
• 0:37 The SIP Sermon: Reality Check
• 2:15 The Cocktail Metaphor: Relief And Resilience
• 3:29 Real-Life Curveballs And First-Date Boundaries
• 4:14 Etiquette, Standards, And Non-Negotiables
• 5:12 Final Takeaways And Free Pour Pack

Transcript

Styles: 0:00

Check it out. There's dating and then there's dating to make sure tiny humans survive the day. Two completely different sports. One is cute outfits, brunch dates, spontaneous plans. The other, fruit snacks, rescheduled, everything. And explaining that your availability depends on meltdown forecasts. You know what it is if you have kids. And the funniest part, people without kids swear that they can compete with that schedule. Meanwhile, somebody's Tyler just flushed a Lego, a barbecue, and have a pop-tart down the toilet calling it science. Let's pour this properly. Welcome to the Brunch Behavior, The Poor Report. I'm Styles, and today's pour, romantic, with a side of fruit snacks and rescheduled plans. Let me break this down for you. The SIP sermon. Dating with kids isn't just I met somebody who has kids. No, I'm talking about you, the parent, the one running the daycare, the shuttle service, the therapy office, the snack bar, the IT department, and the conflict resolution center. You're mixing parenting with passion, nighttime with nighttime, and praying nobody throws up right before you leave the house. This is not Disney Plus romance. This is, however, did you do your homework? With a side of, yo mama, let me text you back after bedtime. Dating with kids is like trying to sip champagne while juggling three lunchables, a science project, and wiping somebody's nose who's not your date. First of all, I don't even know why you would be wiping your date's nose. You can't just pull up. Your whole life requires a cosign. Children secured, bag packed, random meltdown handle, tablet charged, outfit clean, emotional bandwidth above 7%. Meanwhile, your date is texting, so what time you sliding through? Check this out, fam. I'm sliding through at never o'clock if you don't respect my reality. Because dating with kids means your time is borrowed, the money is committed, and your piece? That's premium real estate. You're not swiping for chemistry. You're swiping for someone who can survive the birds. I can't make it tonight. My kids just threw up spaghetti on the dog. That's crazy work. Poor dog. Side note, if someone can't handle small chaos, they have no business in your story. Let me break this down in the glass for you. This one's inspired by the brunch behavior summer pack. Same humor, same chaos, same grown perspective, but crafted for parents navigating romance with a side of responsibility. And since today's episode is all about balancing responsibility with desire, it's only right that we pour a custody and cocktails, a drink that tastes like relief, resilience, and a little bit of listen. I'm really trying here. Now here's what's in the glass hard cider, light but grown, like moments when you squeeze in between obligations. Lemonade, sweet but honest, the way your conversations about availability have to be. Ginger seraph for that unpredictable kick kids throw in your plans every hour on the hour. Mint leaves, because fresh moments are rare, but worth savoring. I don't know why that's funny. Ice because chilling out requires scheduling, prayer, and cooperation from the child who don't care about your date. Macusty and cocktails, it hits like, I can show up, just give me a day or two heads up and hope that the school doesn't call. Brunch behavior breakdown. This is what it looks like in real life. You finally get a night out. Your hair's dead, your fits clean, babysitter locked in, you're feeling good in the Ubers outside. Then boom, your child falls asleep five minutes before you leave. Now you're standing in the doorway, like, why would you betray me like this? Now you have to make a decision. Do I wake the cracking or cancel the night and cry softly in this outfit? Alright, one second. Before you guys get started, I just want to let you know that I am telling a story from a woman's perspective. Anyway, back to it. And then you get the messages. Just bring them with you. Wait a minute. This is not buildable with babysitting benefits. It's a first date, not meet the fuckers. Let's talk etiquette. Because dating with kids has rules. Don't bring your kids up on a first date, but don't act like they're top secret intel either. They're part of your life, not hidden files. Don't introduce them too early. If you're still calling each other by IG handles, my child shouldn't know your name. That's a big fact. Be upfront about your availability. If you're only free every other Friday from 6 15 to 8 03, say that shit with your chest. And don't entertain people who see your kids as an inconvenience. If they're allergic to responsibility, they don't deserve the recipe. Anyone who resents the space your child occupies will never respect the space you need to be a parent. And for the folks dating someone with kids, stop catching attitudes when schedules change. Children don't care about rooftop brunch, they care about goldfish crackers and bluey. Be flexible or be forgotten. Choose wisely. The final pull. So what's the takeaway? Dating with kids is grown business. Real life with real responsibility energy. It's never about settling, it's about choosing someone who respects your time, understands your chaos, and knows your child isn't a third wheel. Fair to ride. Because the truth is, having kids doesn't make you less desirable, it makes you more intentional. You love harder, you choose wiser, you protect stronger. And anyone who doesn't move to that rhythm, they were never built for the long-term trip anyway. Sip happens. Every sip tells a story. And that's your pull for today. Yo, before you dip out, make sure you grab the free paw pack. 5 drinks, 5 sermons, and 5 reasons to stop sipping basic and start sipping with intention. It's free, it's fire, and it's the warm-up round for everything we're building over here. And once you tap into that, step into the full experience with the brunch behavior, the summer pack. 30 drinks, 30 sermons, 30 reasons to elevate how you sip and how you show up. Uh yeah, you can get that in on Amazon. Not editing this at all. To get your free pour pack, go to siphappens.info and in the message section, put free paw pack. All caps. Just another parental pivot from your boy Styles. Catch you on the next pour.