Dating as a mom is not for the faint of heart.
It’s really hard to put yourself out there, especially if it’s been a while.
Juggling mom responsibilities and a new relationship is never easy.
But… you can still do it.
It is still possible.
You are allowed to be a mom and still put your own needs at the top of your priorities.
Your life shouldn’t just be about your child 100% of the time.
So, let’s talk about dating as a mom. Here are our 4 top tips on the matter.
Find a Reliable Babysitter
Of course, you need a babysitter. That’s obvious.
But what is critical is that you pick the right babysitter.
In order to go out and have a good time, you need to have someone at home who you can trust.
If you don’t, you will spend your whole date worrying and checking your phone. This won’t make for a fun date and you won’t be able to open yourself fully.
Overall, this will hold you back from being able to enter into a relationship.
Try and pick someone who is family or a very close friend to babysit your child. Ask them to keep in touch only for emergencies but, other than that, try and stay off your phone and stay present in your date.
It’s important that you can trust and let go.
Don’t Keep Your Kids a Secret
Start off on the right foot by being completely honest and open that you have children at home.
It is so disappointing when you are having a good time with someone and then once you tell them that you have kids, they aren’t interested anymore.
You can save yourself a lot of wasted time and heartache by being upfront on the first date.
It doesn’t have to be intense, it can be something you drop in casually.
But it is important that you know someone’s intentions straight away.
Don’t Introduce Any Dates To Your Kids Until You Are Sure
While it is important that you tell someone straight away that you do have children, it isn’t important for that person to meet your child early on.
Children can get attached to people very quickly and it isn’t great for them to have different people coming in and out of their life regularly.
Keep things seperate at first and only introduce your date to your child(ren) when you feel absolutely ready.
Take time to get to know someone fully before you let them into your child’s life.
It is a big deal and needs to be treated as such.
Release Your Guilt
One of the most important pieces of advice you could get about dating as a mom is to stop feeling guilty.
You are allowed to date and you are allowed to be an adult with different levels of needs.
If you are a single mom and you are thinking about getting back out into the romantic world again, there is nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t make you a bad mom and it doesn’t mean that you don’t love your child enough.
Just take it slowly and take your time with the whole process, and you will be ok.