What is a "single dad"? and a "single mum"?

[ChinBristles]

Following on from the thread about if a mother were to leave/die, would the father cope on his own...

I see a lot of guys online dating who refer to themselves as a "single dad". I had initially assumed this meant the mother was dead/otherwise not in the picture and he was therefore the main carer but that appears not to be so. It appears this is just shorthand for "I'm a dad btw" and he may only have EOW or whatever.

Of course there are also dads on there who are NOT single and are cheating but that's a different thread.

What would you take "single dad" to mean?

But then if someone says they are a "single mother", to me the man may or may not still be around somewhere.

I guess this all comes back to the general assumption that a mother, whether with the father or not, does most of the childcare.

Interested in any musings.

@Testina see I wouldn’t think of you as a single mother if you’re married and/or living with someone. Your husband might not choose to do any parenting but you’re not doing it alone, and you’re not single as you’re married.

To me a single parent is one who has majority care of the child/ren and is living alone with them.

To me a lone parent is one who parents totally alone as the other parent is not involved at all.

I have three children, my boyfriend is not the dad.
I'm a single parent, I am 100% responsible, my boyfriend gets on with my children but isn't involved in care or financials

I wouldn't see you as a single parent if you're in a relationship. I think the term single refers to your relationship status.

Single mum is a mum with children who isn't in a relationship with a live in partner/husband.

I laugh at my ex who calls himself a single dad. He sees one child for six hours a fortnight and doesn't see the other child; and makes no attempt to contact them outside this time. He pays pennies in maintenance.
Then uses it as an excuse to work part time and sympathy seek.

This

Any parent that uses the term ‘single parent’ if they are not the primary carer is a dick.

I've always felt that 'single parent' means you're doing the parenting pretty much alone. Which in my case means that I was a single parent long before my late husband was removed from the FMH by the police.

I agree. A guy saying he is a "single dad" when he has them EOW is a twat.

Why?

He's single
He's a father

Even if he does nothing with them he is the father.

Even Darth Vader falls into this category.

@BigFatLiar because he does fuck all parenting in all likelihood. A Disney dad, if you will. He may be a biological father and may have some input but he is very far from being an involved parent never mind a sole parent! Which is what he is (imho) trying to imply.

I would class a single parent as the resident parent. I wouldn't class the NRP as a single parent.

I'm a lone parent, that is I parent 100% alone and DS has no contact with his father.

On the trans issue mumsnet tends to fall on the basic biology, same should go with parentage. He may do no parenting but technically he is the father, that's what the biology says.

A parent who is no longer in a relationship with their childs other parent.

@BigFatLiar What are you talking about? I didn't mention trans issues at all. I said my son's father because that's what he is (the fact he's abandoned our son is neither here nor there)