text: is it alright to keep in touch with an ex-boyfriend as friends even though you are in a new relationship? i was dating this guy for a year, and he helped me through alot of things in my life. he helped me overconme an addiction. things didn't work out between us and he cheated on me twice so we parted ways. i started dating a guy i met at work and i am very happy in my relationship right now and we are planning on getting married. but i still keep in touch with my ex. he comes and visits me at home and at work and he buys me things like flowers and jewerly. my new man gets angry and i understand that but my ex has helped me through alot and i don't want to give him up totally, i owe him alot for what he has done for me. my children respect and like my ex more than my current boyfriend. i am caught in a lovers quarrel and i need some advice on what to do. i still care and love my ex because he did alot for me but i love my new boyfriend also.it is a hard thing to decide but i need some help.am i in the right by staying in touch with my ex?please help me. you have to decide how much you really love or want to be with the new guy you are with because it is not fair to him. it is ok to stay in touch with your ex's as friends but if you are accepting gifts and talking to him all the time then that does not sound like a friendship thing. i stay in touch with all my ex's but i only talk to them once in a while i certainly would not accept gifts from them. my suggestion is for you to sit down and put yourself in you soon to be husbands shoes and see if you would honestly be ok with him doing that to you. as far as your kids liking your old guy better there is nothing you can do about that but if you are really going to get married to this guy the kids have got to develop a relationship with the new guy.  hope the advice helps all i can say is treat your soon to be husband with the respect and love you expect from him.