It's not the first time I see this (and I had a man friend who did some of this too) but I find this one to be particularly unhealthy.


And I'm interested in understanding what kind of person(ality) does this, how is this person in a relationship, is it also unhealthy? If so, how? What do they bring to a relationship? Is it toxic or normal?

Context: she's not at all pretty and she met a guy in her 40s. Within 2 years dating him she had a kid.
The guy is far more "cool" than she is. And she looks much older than him, though she's not.

Well, since she had the kid, she never ever let the the child alone. The child is now 11 years old.
She made a joint social account with blended names (hers and the child) to show him off and to show off how much he loves her.


She still makes him wear matching costumes and other scenic happy family stuff, forcing everyone to join in. Posting pictures of the kid, or the 3 of them (as in I'm in a happy relationship). Not much else. This is her social media. She tags the boyfriend in every "happy" picture, she tagged him in "a relationship with". This is how she wants to present herself: I have a kid of this man and specially the kid is all I care and he loves me forever.

At family gatherings she's always holding on to the the kid, sitting next to him (fine if she needs to help him while eating, but the rest of the cousins are all on the same side of the table while the kid is with her).
She's usually distant from the rest of the family members. Sits near his parents.
She's the one that rarely shows up in family pictures because she's always behind, clinging to the kid and the boyfriend, with a tense face while everyone is having fun.

What type of personality does this?
I'd like to understand the personality of this type of people and what they do to a relationship (I know what they do to the children. Plenty articles about it).
I can't find much information about this. I think she is a very kind person, but she's super super clingy.
All I can find is articles about clingy children, not the other way.

thank you