Dating as a Single Parent

Last Update : April 1, 2016

Being a single parent can be difficult enough, but when you’re trying to find love and you have children it can feel like an impossible task. So how do you get back on the dating scene when you have children? There are so many difficulties that you may encounter.

Are you ready?

First of all, and maybe the biggest factor of them all, are you ready to put yourself back out there? There is no right time to start dating; you just have to wait until you yourself feel ready to look for a second chance at love. A question you should ask yourself is “why”? Why are you looking to start dating? What is it you are trying to get out of it? Hoping dating will satisfy all your needs is idealistic and might attract (or cause you to accept) people who aren’t right for you.

Where do you look?

The dating game might have changed since you were last looking to find love. You’re probably older now and you have kids so you can’t just go hit the clubs and bars. These days there are some fantastic dating sites that cater just for single parents or more mature individuals looking for love. Your best bet is to look for friends not relationships, people you have things in common with and then see if things develop over time.

Do you have the time?

If you have decided that you are indeed ready to start dating, now the question is when do you date? As a single parent finding time for oneself can be difficult as it is. Finding the time to date, which is time consuming, is not always easy. That’s why online dating can be extremely helpful, as you can start looking for someone from the comfort of your own home, when the kids have gone to bed.

Do you tell your date?

If you start dating someone, how much do you say? Do you tell them straight away that you have kids? Or will this scare them off? Put yourself in their shoes, it’s not the kind of thing you can keep from someone so being up front about your children is the right thing to do. Do you even want to be with someone that doesn’t like or want kids?

When do you tell the kids?

If you have found someone, and you’ve started seeing each other on a regular basis, is it time to tell the kids? When is the right time to tell them? And how much do you tell them? This all depends on the age of your children, if they’re older you can probably share a little more with them earlier on in your relationship, however if they are quite young you might want to hold back a little as it can all be a big change to them.