Is Online Dating a Good Thing for Single Parents?

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When relationships fail, the respective parties will have to deal with some uncertainty as they readjust to being single again. This potentially traumatic situation will be exacerbated if there are children involved. But after a suitable interim period, the time will come when any single mom might decide to get on with their life, perhaps considering the possibilities of finding a new partner. Rather than the hassle of trying to juggle socializing with childcare, more and more of these individuals are choosing to go down the route of digital dating. So how viable an option is this for single parents looking for a fresh start?

A choice of outlets

Anyone looking for a dating service has so many potential resources to tap into these days. Generic sites will offer a variety of categories for new members to search, typically including headings such as ‘single mom chat rooms,’ or ‘single parents over-40,’ and so on. Most mom dating sites will offer free registration with an option to discover additional features once you become a premium member. When you register on flirtmoms.com you will be able to gauge what options would be available if you were to commit to becoming a paid-up member.

As well as checking out the matchmaking functions, you could look into background features on offer. But there will also be a huge range of more specialized outlets to choose from. And these can be so much more than simply a platform where the ‘newly single’ can browse through the profiles of prospective partners. They are vibrant online communities where single moms will always be welcomed with open arms by the existing members. There will be forums they can participate in, as well as regular blog posts offering guidance and support on various issues facing people in the same situation as you.

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Joining a virtual community

In most instances, you’d be joining so much more than a platform where singles connect with like-minded individuals and meet mature women. You’ll gain the impression of being welcomed into a vibrant community, a place where there will be so many people on your wavelength.

As a senior seeking romance, you might be under the impression you already have all the knowledge you require, but the best way to make the most of the opportunities that still lie ahead is to be open-minded – there will always be new areas to explore. If you’ve always been drawn to ‘traditional relationships’ perhaps there’s a more curious side to you that was repressed during previous partnerships? A lot of older individuals are ready to give in to temptation.

Finding partners according to compatibility

These outlets might offer an incredible pool of talent, but the moment you sign up you’ll be entering a world where you can track down the person most appropriate for a relationship. Algorithms will help point you in the right direction, taking aspects of your profile – your location, the type of person you’re eager to connect with, etc. – then comparing these with information ingathered from other applicants, suggesting a shortlist of suitable matches.

You can also take your time browsing through personal pages, keeping an eye out for photos that catch your eye, and checking out the hobbies and interests individuals have specified. Remember, each of the others site users has registered with this website specifically to flirt with moms, so you’re only going to encounter people on your wavelength.

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Easy communication techniques

Aside from finding your ideal match, if there’s one thing dating sites do incredibly well, it’s giving you access to various handy ways of touching base. If you’re a single parent who is a little apprehensive about the thought of flirting with strangers, you can take an informal shortcut. Instead of thinking of witty remarks to make when you’re dropping a message into someone’s inbox, all you have to do is send them a ‘wink,’ or add a ‘like’ to their page.

This alerts them they have an admirer, and if the attraction is reciprocated, the path is clear for you to start exchanging more intimate messages. You can also text, email, phone, or get involved in video chats. What’s more, you could be accessing the website’s communication channel whenever is most convenient to yourself, at any time of day or night.

Taking an online partnership into the real world

Online dating represents the ideal platform for getting introduced to partners, whether you want to connect with other mature singles. But you should avoid the temptation to treat the online environment as a comfort zone, where you can relax and take advantage of the streamlined communication channels to exchange message after message. There’s no substitute for a face-to-face encounter, so developing an online rapport should only be seen as a stepping stone towards planning a get-together in the real world.

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Agree on certain boundaries

The main difference with dating a single mom, as opposed to just another single, is that she will have certain priorities, primarily focused on her children. She might still be close to the father of her kids, especially over issues such as joint custody. This is another set of parameters you’ll have to agree on.

Does she intend to introduce you to your new ‘step family’ early on in your relationship, or would she prefer keeping you at arm’s length, at least until things progress a little further? She could adopt a ‘no staying over’ policy, to avoid unnecessary complications. As long as you chat about these issues and agree on a way forward, your future happiness won’t be impeded.

Achieving the optimum social life/home life balance

Where online dating is especially useful for single parents is that it allows you to devote time to socializing, as well as giving you the space to get on with your responsibilities to your family. You can maintain your relationship by messaging, making it easy to develop a rapport, eventually getting round to suggesting venues where you could get together for proper face-to-face liaison.

Drawing a line on the past

People reaching the age of 50 might well have ex-partners they remain on good terms with (often because of their shared responsibilities for children). Don’t look upon this as ‘baggage,’ but an important aspect of their character. Love after 50 is all about accepting someone’s history, with maturity. But this will also allow you to anticipate a bright future.