Being a single parent leaves you little room to do anything let alone date. You have to manage everything in your life along with the kiddos all on your own. But all hope is not lost! I have listed the best ways to date as a single parent. Feel free to use it as a guide:

The single-parent dating guide

1. Be transparent with your kids

Let them know that you are ready to start dating and getting to know people. Meeting new people and building relationships is normal and your kids should know that.

Also, let them know that with dating sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Which is not bad, it just means that someone else is out there for you.

Being transparent with the kids helps them to learn about the ups and downs in life. Things change, and life won’t always be great all of the time. It helps them to see you enjoying your life and putting yourself out there for love again.

2. Don’t introduce your kids to everyone you meet

The kids don’t need to meet anyone really until you are ready to take that next step. Be sure to take your time to really get to know who you are dating. There’s no point to introduce them to your kids if you don’t see a future with the person.

There is no specific time span on when you should introduce your kids, just trust your gut. Make sure that both the kids and the person you are dating are comfortable with it first.

3. Balance your time

I get it, dating as a single parent can be difficult. A big factor is time because a lot of your time will be occupied with your kids. Your children will always come first but you can make dating a priority as well.

It’s okay to date and get to know other people. You still have to live and enjoy your life too. It’s all about balance.

Plan ahead for dates and sitters so that you are prepared when the time comes. When I started dating as a single mom I made sure to spend Friday evenings and Saturdays doing something fun with the kids.

Sundays were my days to go on dates, hang with friends, or have some me time.

4. Date other single parents

Dating other single parents makes it easier to connect to your date. You guys can talk about the challenges that you face, and possibly find solutions together.

It’s also pretty cool to share a few funny parenting stories with one another.

Another thing is that they will understand more if you need to reschedule because something came up with your kids. They will know that being a single parent doesn’t leave much wiggle room for flexibility because things will come up.

5. Tell your dates that you have kids

Let’s be honest, no one wants to be wasting time. Let your date know up front that you have kids. Then they can decide if they want to continue pursuing you or not.

There’s no sense in hiding them because you really like the person. Eventually, they will have to meet your kids. Also, you want to be honest in order to build their trust.

Withholding the fact that you have kids can be misleading to others. You don’t want to start off on the wrong foot so be sure to tell them upfront about your kids.

6. Date multiple people

I do not mean sleep with everyone, these are two different things. The whole point of dating is to get to know people and feel them out to see if you guys are really compatible.

Dating multiple people helps you to compare and weigh your options. This beats putting all of your ” eggs in one basket” just to find out that you made the wrong decision.

We all want monogamy in our lives but don’t rush it. Take your time, and explore to see who is really meant for you.

Dating as a single parent does not have to be as difficult as it seems. You still deserve to be happy and find love as well.