Single Parent Dating: How Soon Do You Introduce Your Date to Your Children?

Dating as a single parent can be so daunting that many single parents swear off trying to find a life partner (or even experiencing some pleasant romantic attachments) until their kids are grown. Ask any single parent who has been on the dating circuit and he or she will probably have horror stories galore! One of the big questions when trying to date as a single parent is how soon should you introduce your date to your children? Should you do it early to see if everyone hits it off or should you wait until it cannot be avoided?

There are various schools of thought when it comes to when to introduce a date to your children and it all depends on the age of the children, your personal value system and how serious your dating relationship is becoming. One theory is to let your dates know up front that you are a parent as the first step. This way, if they are "not into" kids, they can deselect themselves from the very beginning. Of course, some people love the "idea" of children, but have a hard time with the reality and this is something you may not find out until you actually introduce them to each other. Once the relationship moves beyond the get-to-know-you stage and you are thinking of getting more deeply involved, it may be time to introduce the date to your children.

Some single parents are concerned that their children will become attached to the boyfriend or girlfriend and if things don't work out, they will go through the grief and heartbreak. This is always a possibility and one of the reasons many parents put off introducing the children to the possible significant other as long as possible. Other parents have found that their children can be good judges of character and the single parent is able to see from an early stage whether the other person will be a good fit with their kids or not.