Single and Ready to Mingle!

For the past few days, I have been playing the role of single parent. I can understand the pride men/women feel as the entertainment director for their child(ren).

My youngest son, Nicholas and I  had a great time going to the Liberty Science Center, Chuck-E-Cheese, and several parks. We took in a couple of movies, and played our favorite video game, Skylanders.

Even though, I was having fun, I often longed for the companionship and adult-like activities that my wife and I share. Those thoughts made me really empathize with the “real” single parents out there.

I can understand the challenges single parents face when they want to start a new relationship, but are cautious of the dating scene. If you are a single parent looking, or online searching for companionship, here are some tips that may help ease the process.

Be Flexible – The first thing I would look for is flexibility. He/she would have to understand the kids come first and our dates would have to be worked in around our schedules. Their may be times when plans will be cancelled. If the relationship between the EX is cordial, the person will have to understand that in no way will it impact the relationship you are trying to build.

Have Fun – The next thing I would look for would be their ability to have fun. Parenting, even though  it has its fun moments, it’s a full-time job and a lot of work. When we are on a date, we want to have fun. If they can’t do that, you won’t have them around long. They also must have the ability to be affectionate and think of love as an activity, and not just a feeling.  Acting as the mom & dad for your children means there are times when you have to go out of your comfort zone in order to make up for the parent that’s not around. This can often leave you emotionally depleted.  Look for someone who would be affectionate that could not only be affectionate towards you, but eventually your kids.

My single parent days will end in a couple of days, and hopefully yours will to. If you are looking for a companion, what other qualities do you look for if you are considering getting back into the Relationship scene?

Coach Keith