Dating a Single Parent - Pros and Cons

Divorces are on the rise in America. There are more single parents than ever these days. You meet someone you are interested in but find out that they have a child. The decision to engage in a serious relationship with a single parent is not one to be taken lightly. There are many factors that should be taken into effect before you decide to undertake a serious relationship. It requires a certain level of maturity that some people simply do not possess.

The Other Parent. Is the other parent involved in the child's life? Is it an amicable situation or will the introduction of a boyfriend/girlfriend put a strain on an already tense situation? These situations are complicated. They did not just develop overnight and you have to be willing to have patience and keep an open mind in these situations.

Dates. Its no secret that having a child means early school nights. It means a date can be canceled due to lack of babysitter. Your romantic dinner and a movie can change to a Disney film and Chuck E Cheese in a heartbeat. You have to be flexible in all things order to make it work.

Lack of Attention. Can you handle not being the center of your partner's world? Being in a relationship where there's a child means being second in almost everything.

Attachments. When you spend enough time around a child, they develop an attachment to you. Should you decide that the relationship doesn't work, it will devastate the child. You need to consider beforehand how close you want to be to the children involved.

Inconvenient. It means being woken up at 2 AM with a sick child. It means Valentine's Day dinner is canceled because the kid just got sick at the babysitters. It can mean diaper changing, tantrums, and naptimes. It means court dates, custody battles, and child support disputes.

Now that you are sufficiently turned off, let me tell you what you do get. You get to be with a person whose first concern isn't about going to a bar and getting drunk. You get someone who already has a maturity gained from life experience. Someone who truly understands what unconditional love is because of the life they have created. You get the love of a child who runs up and hugs you cause they are excited to see you. Most importantly though, you get to be part of a family.

Just like everything in life, anything worth having, is worth working for. You have to take the good with the bad. Should you date someone with a child? Absolutely.