AdminDating, as we all know, is not easy. Being a single parent, as we all know, is not easy. Add all of this together and dating as a single parent can seem nearly impossible.
The good news is that you’re never alone: According to the Pew Research Center, nearly a quarter of children in the United States live in single-parent homes, which means there are plenty of single parents out there who are just as dedicated to their families as you are. and The best dating apps for single parents who don’t mind having some romance in their life also allow you to meet men and women who aren’t parents themselves but are comfortable dating someone with a family.
16 Expert-Approved Kids Podcasts to Listen to Right Now
To make online dating a little more effortless, we’ve handpicked the best dating apps and sites for you. We know that dating apps don’t always have the best reputation, but these days there are actually apps made for parents, and some of the features on popular apps like Hinge can help the dating process.
Why dating is hard for single moms
Sometimes the most obvious answer is the most accurate answer, and as a single parent, free time can be a huge constraint on your dating life. We know you don’t have time to swipe through Bumble and send out dozens of messages. Might be Leads to a date.
“Time is one of the most difficult/sensitive issues for people who are responsible for raising their children full-time,” says Karen Bonnell, co-parenting advocate, stepfamily coach, and author. Stepfamily Handbook, In an email to Mashable, he said, “Even when two households have kids moving between homes, date times often shift around to accommodate their schedules, which can feel compressed or a bit of a departure from ‘independent adult dating’ and ‘responsible parenting.'”
Top 12 Dating Sites to Find a Serious Relationship
Dating apps can take some effort and time, but the right app can streamline the process of meeting new people. That’s why we think they’re a solid option for single parents looking for love, fun, and friendship. An algorithm that shows you people you’re actually compatible with, instead of just people who might be interested in you within a 10-mile radius, is a huge plus.
Bonnell also said it’s important to be upfront about time constraints and responsibilities.
“Carving out time for communication (after the kids go to bed) or inviting kids to participate in activities while letting them know, ‘Mom/Dad will be doing some computer work’ or ‘I’ll be taking a call,’ can be effective but is not easy,” Bonnell writes. “The ability to openly discuss these barriers and reach reasonable agreements predicts the long-term sustainability of parent-parent relationships.”
What are the best dating sites for single parents?
Popular dating sites are a great place to find a wide range of users, but when dating as a single parent, curation can be key.
The dating app market also includes apps designed specifically for parents: in 2020, single parents and family-oriented people might start looking for love on heybaby (unfortunately, this dating site for single parents is no longer operational), and in 2022, Match Group launched Stir, a platform specifically for single parents (though anyone can join).
Read on to discover the best parent-centric dating apps, as well as our favorite mainstream dating apps for parents.
How we tested
We make sure to spend real-world time on the dating sites that we recommend, which means creating a profile on every app or site, scrolling through their users, and testing out the chat and matchmaking features that promise to help you find that special someone.
Every app on this list has been tested by Mashable staff writers or freelancers with experience writing about relationships and dating, and wherever possible, we’ve linked to full, in-depth reviews of the dating site or app.
The main criteria we considered when selecting the apps for this guide were:
-
Time savings: Whether they’re co-parenting or not, single parents can struggle to find time to date. With that in mind, we’ve selected apps that not only show you a wide range of profiles but also have specific features and effective algorithms that save you time.
-
Shared values: If you’re a single parent, you’re probably going to run into trouble if you start dating someone who isn’t kid-friendly. That’s why we looked for apps that let you filter by people who want kids or who already have kids, so you’re starting out on the same page when you match. We also looked for apps that tend to value serious connections (and preferably communication), which are super important when welcoming someone new into your life and ultimately becoming a family.
And, as we do with all dating tests, parent-friendly or not, we evaluated how active the user base was, the overall vibe of the user base, what features you get for the money you pay (if applicable), and how novel or useful each app’s standout features were.
Finally, to understand what single parents are looking for in a dating app, we also reached out to licensed marriage and family therapists and divorce and co-parenting coaches to offer their expertise on the struggles single parents face when dating.
Admin