Online Dating and using dating apps is tricky for anyone, but bringing kids into the mix can be even more challenging. Single parents face the unique challenge of mentioning kids but not going into overwhelming detail, which can be difficult to execute. Here at Single in the City we want to make it easier for single parents to perfect their online dating profiles and get dates with people who will compliment their unique family dynamic.
It’s dishonest to not include your kids in your dating profile because they’re a permanent and important part of your life. If you don’t mention them in your profile than you at least need to bring them up in your messages before you go on a date with someone. For some people kids are 100% a deal breaker so by not mentioning them you’re wasting both of your time, which isn’t fair to either of you.
You need to make sure you don’t mention your kids at the very top of your bio and don’t go into too much detail. The person reading your profile wants to know about you, not your kids. Mentioning your kids in relation to an activity is a good idea because you’re bringing them up while still giving information about yourself. For example something like “My hobbies include swimming at the cottage with my kids”. In that example not only does it mention your kids but also that you’re active and do fun things; which are very appealing characteristics.
The benefits and the risks are honestly the same thing; you’re weeding out the people that aren’t interested in kids. Yes, they maybe great people that you’re missing out on but if they aren’t into kids than ultimately they aren’t the right person for you. A major benefit to mentioning your kids is that you might attract another single parent, which is great because you’ll already have something in common.
Of course some people prefer not to mention their kids online at all due to privacy concerns however in that case you should mention them privately when you message someone before a date as to not catch them off guard during the actual date. You should also be careful about all of your personal information, not only about your kids. For tips for staying safe online check out Single in the City’s Online Dating Safety Guide.
Are you a single parent that online dates? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below!