Should You Include Your Child on a Date?

by Kori Rodley Irons | More from this Blogger

Dating and the single parent is one of those slightly controversial topics we return to again and again here in the single parent blog. We all seem to have different opinions about what is considered "okay" and what isn't. What about dating WITH children? Not as in dating if you have a child at home, but including a child on a date?

I have to admit that I have ambivalent feelings about including a child on a date. When I look back over past years and dating adventures and disasters I can see that there were times when I needed a "date" to get out and be a grown-up and other times, when I started to get to know someone pretty well, when it would have been fantastic if that person had mentioned doing something that included my kids. I can see both sides of this one!

If you are able to include a child on a date you can do something kid-friendly, and you can see how the other person interacts with your child. I imagine this might also be perfect when both people have children who are similar ages. However, if you include the child too early in the developing relationship, he or she could get attached to your date and make it tougher should you decide to stop seeing each other.

I suppose it comes down to appropriateness and balance. It can be so tough as a single parent to know what is the right thing to do when it comes to dating. We want to keep our grown-up life separate from our kids until it is appropriate, but we also need to find out if the person we are seeing can actually integrate and "work" with our families. What do you think? Do you think that a single parent should include a child on a date? If so, under what circumstances and if not, why not?

Also: Dating During Pregnancy

If They Don't Like Kids (Or Still Are One), Why Date?

Dating Tips for the Single Mom

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