Single parenting is never easy. You both work as a mother and a father with your own the child in most cases. But while single parenting is not the only thing you are concerned with; dating too can be part of it. Single parent dating can be tricky, especially when your kids are involved who sometimes unintentionally make it a little more difficult to date another single parent.
A Challenging Situation
The whole process of single parent dating is challenging. Patrick Mwase, a child and marriage counsellor says that it’s tricky to date a single parent because there are several dynamics involved such as:
- Honesty
- Patience
- Time
- Situations encountered
- Commitment
- Money to be spent
One of the hardest situations when dating a single parent is when he or she is not open enough to relate their parenting responsibilities. Mwase says this is very common because due to the fear of losing the relationship. It’s also difficult for the single parent to decide when he or she should share information about their children to their partner.
Commitment
Showing commitment to the relationship means they are ready to stick around, rain or shine. When dating a single parent, they need to be honest, committed and interested. Relationships would never be successful if one is uninterested and not committed. By being committed, this helps the children in many ways because they are living in a stable home, growing with love and are around trustworthy people.
Dennis Odoi, a child psychologist, says that children who see their parents happy are less likely to suffer tension headaches, depression and diseases. When children are sickly, their immune system is boosted when they surrounded by a warm, stable home and happy parents.
Time and Patience
Time is an important factor in almost any relationship. It requires time to communicate critical issues. When relationships go wrong, both need time to deal with the challenges and to assess the situation carefully.
Patience helps when it comes to single parent dating. Give the other partner time to disclose and to think on whatever it is. The issue of parenting should be an open issue as it will be a main factor in the relationship.
Love and Care
As mentioned earlier, children are often a serious issue in single parent dating. The appreciation and support for the child is what often counts. So it is always important to appreciate the child by listening and trying to understand and by showing that you love and care for them. Although you can’t be their parent, loving your partner means loving the children as well. This isn’t always easy.
Showing or having no interest in the child reflects that the relationship might not be real. So to help progress in your relationship with a single parent partner, it is crucial for the partner to try to love the child as his or her own. This can also help a partner settle in easier.
Understanding
The single parent and the partner should make an effort to understand each other’s as well as the children’s feelings. Agreeing or disagreeing early enough is important. Both parties should be genuine with each other. Show each other lots of love and exhibit confidence in the relationship.
If you’re not yet committed to dating a single parent in the right manner, you should think carefully on these issues before jumping in. You may end up not only hurting the single parent but also the children.
If you are yet to meet someone, then I suggest you check this link on our preferred single parent dating sites.
I hope this has been useful to you in some way.
Billy Baker
