If you are a single dad who is looking to get back into the dating game and maybe find that special someone, you might well be feeling daunted about the whole thing, especially in today’s digital world. Dating is never easy being single but add kids to the mix makes and it all that more complicated to navigate. Complicated but not impossible.
With that in mind, below you will find some tips to help you do dating in hopes of it doing it better then without.
Make sure you are really ready
If you are jumping back into dating because you think you should or you realize that you are not getting any younger, rather than because you really want to meet someone who will enhance your life and make you happy, then it might be worth holding off a little longer. Dating when you are not ready is not usually very fulfilling or very successful, so wait until you are settled into a good routine with the kids and have plenty of time to focus on your dating life too.
Work out what you really want
Before you start heading to Match, Bumble or Hinge, or hitting the local bar, it may be a good idea to sit down and write a list of what you really want in a woman, as well as what you hope to get from the dating experience.
Doing this will enable you to work out how to approach dating and the kinds of people you would have more success with approaching too. Oh, and don’t forget to list any dealbreakers that would absolutely disqualify a woman from being in your life too.
Talk to the kids
If your kids are old enough to understand what dating is and what it might mean for them, then it is probably worth having a conversation with them before you go off and start meeting women. You will want to let them know that you will be dating occasionally while also reassuring them that this does not mean you will be spending less time with them or that they are not the most important people in your life. Gradually getting them used to the idea before you get serious with anyone will make it less of a shock when it happens, and hopefully, they will be able to accept any new partners in your life it more ease as a result.
Work on your self-esteem
After a divorce or breakup your self-confidence can take a hit and that can be pretty unattractive. So, if you want to stand the best chance of securing multiple dates with someone you like, working on loving yourself and winning back your self-confidence will really help you to achieve this. This also applies to your mental health as well. Remind yourself of all your positive qualities and why you are a good catch before every single date, and you will rock it.
Be open with potential partners
As a single dad, we may be nervous or confused on when to communicate to a date that we have kids. The answer is simple. ASAP. You have kids and they are a priority in your life. Letting them know in the beginning will help you not waste your time on anyone that isn’t comfortable with you having kids. Let them know you are also ready to date and not hung up on your past because baggage never looks good on anyone. Just because you’re a single dad, doesn’t mean you have to date single moms. If your date does not have kids, be honest about your family with them. While it may be a deal breaker for some, doesn’t mean it will be for all. Honestly is where it is.
Don’t get the kids involved too soon
It is never a good idea to introduce your kids to a new person or relationship in your life until you are sure that something serious is going to develop. It can be very destabilizing for them, and it can make you cling on to a relationship that is not working well because you do not want to disappoint your children or make life more difficult for them, So. leave it until you have been dating for several months and things are getting serious.
We all deserve a happy and fulfilling love life and being a single dad does not change that, so there is no reason why you should not get back onto the dating game when you are ready, and when you are ready, the above tips will help you to do dating as successfully as you possibly can. Good luck.
