Joining the dating scene for the first time following bereavement, even if it's been a while will no doubt be a step that you may be taking with some trepidation. Will this person be genuine? Will they meet my expectations? And more importantly, how will my family react to the idea of my looking to form a new relationship?

Online relationships have the benefit of giving you time and space to get to know someone without having to introduce them to your family too soon. Being discerning in this way allows both of you to establish a genuine connection, providing the time needed to decide if you are right for each other, before taking any further steps. You may at first be simply looking for a friend or companion, however, should things develop, then you will want to introduce this new person to your family, safe in the knowledge that you are comfortable and happy in his/her company.

It is possible that children could initially see this relationship as a threat within the family unit, even more so, if this person has children of their own. By taking the time to talk about this new person occasionally with your family, explaining who they are and what they mean to you, will gradually help them to warm to the idea of someone else in your life, especially if they can see that they are having a positive affect on you. If this person also has a family of their own, then it could well be that arranging an outing between the two families could be the most fitting and comfortable way for all of you to get to know each other.

In short, if things progress and you start to think about the possibility of the two families coming together there are bound to be hurdles along the way, but as long as there is plenty of love and mutual understanding between all of you then you have the foundation for a happy future together.