When should you disclose that you have children?

[toptramp]

When dating should you mention the fact that you have kids before, during or after a first date?

The trouble is if you are not honest then your date might just not want to date a mum at all but then if you tell them that you have children then conversation might end up just being about kids...or not? What is the general concensus?

Tell them. It's not as if you're telling them you're not that fond of ketchup, or you prefer winter to summer. Having kid(s) is a big deal, why wouldn't you mention it? I'd rather let them know from the beginning than sweat about telling them and their reaction when I did decide to let them know.

You can probably mention it without them then being the focus of all conversation for the rest of the evening.

I told a guy straight away that I had a son before I even went on a date.

I can't imagine why you wouldn't mention TBH... If he doesn't want to see you again because of it, good that you found out early. I 'wear' lots of different hats... mum, lover, friend, daughter, ect... but I don't wear them all at once...

I can't imagine having any sort of getting to know you conversation with without my DC being mentioned and presumably(?) you've had a bit of that before agreeing to go on a date.

I wouldn't expect the fact that I have DC to be the only topic of conversation whether the new acquaintance was a date, colleague, neighbour or even a fellow mum

Having a child/children is a non-negotiable. Anyone who's going to have a problem with it isn't worth a first date. Make it known in the first conversation. But don't talk endlessly about your kids as that would be the turn-off.

I had a two year relationship with someone who always told me "I love the fact that you obviously love your DS but you're also capable of holding meaningful conversations that don't revolve around him".