Relationship with single mother is all on her terms

I'VE been with my girlfriend for about three months. I'm 30 and she's 32, and we met online. She has a three-year-old daughter with her ex-partner, which obviously I'm fine with, and she put me in the picture right from the start.

Dear Coleen

However, she has this arrangement with her ex where they spend every weekend together with their daughter. I understand it's a sensitive situation and her daughter comes first, but I'm not sure how I fit in when it comes to building a relationship with her.

So far, I've done everything on her terms. We usually see each other once or twice during the week (once if her mum can babysit and twice if her ex can take her daughter for another night). This is fine, but I'm on my own every weekend and it also limits what we can do together when we're both tired from work and she can rarely stay over at mine.