Dating thread 15! cock-cages, hopeful pensioners the occasional glorious success!

[Snapespeare]

apologies for title, I am bereft of ideas as the sodding times 'kindly' edited my profile for me.

I'm back from my course. I'm now qualified to kill off people perform emergency first aid and will have a certificate to say so.

watch he sounds lovely. I have a good feeling about him, from what you've said. A nice shopping spree as well, a good day in all :)

It's nice here too, supposed to be all week. All I can say is it's about time, we're in May already.

Sponge - sorry you still feeling down but happy belated birthday to you

Watch - sounds interesting, hopefully there will be a second date and you can decide if you fancy him or not

Everyone else, sorry if I've missed anything

I had a date with a naval officer on Saturday - been speaking for ages but hard to meet up due to being on a submarine 50% of the time. Very nice and we came back to mine after (oops) I liked him so hopefully will see him again at some point

And last night I met with theonewithnoname. After I dumped him for only wanting to go to each others houses on a first meeting, he went silent for a week. Came back and was totally different. So we met in a pub in Sth London. He's nice, not sure if I fancy him but will happily meet him again, still in public! It's nice to have him working to my rules though

Been chatting to one this afternoon but he only has one pic, I think I will suggest a drink in the next few days as I don't want to be chatting over email not knowing if I like his look or not

Me too Chaotic, I did the first aid course last year. A big fat sweaty bloke volunteered to be the 'model' so we could demonstrate the recovery position. He was enjoying it far too much for my liking but luckily the fire alarm went off just as it was my turn. We had to bail out until the fire brigade arrived. When we did eventually get back inside we had a new volunteer. Phew!

It's lovely here too, in fact it's too hot, there is no fresh air. I'm sat indoors protecting my already ageing skin from the harmful rays

You are still doing well on the dating front MsC, the naval officer sounds perfect, being away 50% of the time!

the naval officer sounds perfect, being away 50% of the time!

I always used to say that I would either marry a millionaire or someone in the armed forces so I could get the bed to myself most of the time

No fat, sweaty blokes on this course and I volunteered to be the one who was bandaged.

And I always said I would marry someone who worked on the rigs. Just home enough to mow the lawn and do a bit of DIY before going back

Your course sounds so much better than mine. We had to pair off and bandage each other. I bandaged Vicky Pollard. My course was one organised by the jobcentre, can you tell?

Mine was organised by my housing association. They phoned me asking if I wanted to go on a employment workshop, where they'd tell us what they were looking for in prospective employees. I thought it would be useful because most of it would be transferable to other jobs so agreed to go. Then I got a phone call from someone to confirm I could still make it and she asked if I would be interested in some courses they were doing, so I gave her my email and she sent me details and I've signed up for three of them, this being the first.

Someone came around asking if I would fill out a questionaire a few months ago so I'm thinking it must be related to that. I'm also signed up to go to a workshop with park inn too, next month so we'll see what comes of it.

mrsc sounds like you are having some luck dating

watch hope he does get in contact and if he don't he is a fall.

My update: a friends brother came over last night. He left about half hour ago but of course being the little angels we are he slept in my bed, both naked on the sofa.

He is telling his mum about me. Seems I now have a boyfriend. SO SO HAPPY. he is wonderful. He doesn't know what I went through with the ex though.

Now to cover the love bite on my neck up so my mum and sister don't see it tomorrow (hardly need 101 questions or a lecture)

That's about all the news for me.

That sounds really good Chaotic. We don't seem to have things like that. I put myself on a 12 week course for single mums last year, but that was just CV, interview skills and confidence building. It got me out of the house but I can't say I gained anything from it. Plus I was the oldest single mum so felt out of place. But being the oldest I was also the most responsible so did actually turn up each day

Come August I will have been on Jobseekers allowance for 12 months so I will be 'invited' to go on a work trial. This means I have to go through all the CV, interview skills and confidence building stuff again. Can't say I'm looking forward to it. Being unemployed really does suck!

I have a work program thingy that I'm going to be "directed to" next time I go sign on, which will probably do all that stuff with me too.

I've just told the dog off for barking. She looked at me like this You can hear me barking? I'm "Of course I can hear you, I've got the window open."

And that is an example of my life, I'm having conversations with the dog, I need to get out more

Back on topic, I'm fed up so am considering reopening my profiles so I can remind myself why I closed them in the first place.

Time, I'd be so offended at the ' single parent course' like that has any bearing on your skills at all, let alone how employable you are. Fuckers. I would have complained. It's not like you have no job history... You have had some very good jobs in the past. Ggggrrrr

Chaotic, yep. I'm totally the same. It's crap :(

Mlm- where was your child while you were lounging around naked with this new man?

We only slept naked I don't walk around
naked. Little man already knew him so he was fine with him spending the day with us, going shopping together and playing with little man in the front room together and sitting cuddled up watching him. I never thought he was all that interested in me.......obviously he was. I don't invite strangers into little man's home, but of course at mums groups he mixes with those he doesn't know as do I.

Chaotic I gave myself a reminder like that yesterday. Profile didn't last long before it was hidden again.

watch I am offended at everything the Jobcentre 'offer'. Work 'experience' being something they keep coming up with at the moment, which is in effect 8 weeks of free labour. The first one they offered me was at a garden centre 2 bus rides away, to provide cover during their busy period. I would have been doing exactly the same job as a paid member of staff, but for no wage. The last one they offered me was at a employment agency. The very same agency I had signed up with the week before, and commented on all the empty desks. They guy told me they had had to lay off almost all the staff as they just weren't busy. So instead they ring the Jobcentre and get their staff for free! I refused on that basis alone. I would rather do voluntary work in a hospice or somewhere similar, give my time where it's really needed, not somewhere it's been used to save paying wages.

MLM I think mixing at toddler groups with people he doesn't know is a lot bit different for your son, to mixing with men he doesn't know, in his own home. Just saying.

MLM - I have to say this...

You need to slow down! You are only just out of an abusive relationship, you don't need another relationship. The rest of us on here have all been single for years (I think) We all took time for us and our kids to get over whatever we needed to get over.

You child does not need to see you in bed with a man or cuddling on the sofa. He may meet many strangers in day to day living but having someone new on his turf, taking mums attention is not good

Just last week you were fawning over justfriends, a man that made it perfectly clear he didn't want a relationship with you and now you have a man over for 24 hours and call him your boyfriend. He is not your boyfriend, he won't be your boyfriend until you have been seeing each other for a while, got to know each other over time. I may sound harsh but I'm actually cross with you

You date, which means you go out with that person, doing nice things away from your child. Your child does not need to meet anyone you date until you are sure you are in a relationship

I've been single over 10 years and had 3 relationships and many sexual partners in that time, my kids have never woken up to a strange man in the morning and only met 2 people I have dated. Please stop this

This going to sound patronising and I know you have had a tough time but you really need to grow up a bit and re-evaluate some of your behaviour

I agree. Compleaty. 100%

And I hate to say this, but this is not good for your child, at all. Full stop..

Dd has never met anyone I've dated. She wont be meeting anyone until a relationship is well established and has a future. Anything I get up to happens when I am away from her.

You are responsible for someone else other than just yourself, you need to put your childs emotional wellbeing first. Not your own.

Time, gah, I'd be fucked off, that's so offensive :(

Yep. Totally agree. On all of the above.

MsCello, I agree too.

I've made many many errors of judgment in the past which is why I'm more wary now -DS1 was only 18 months when I met the evil Ex. Our relationship moved forwards very quickly because I fell (unexpectedly) pregnant with DS2 after only a few weeks -although tbh even before that he was very full on, wanting to meet DS, us to go out for the day 'as a family' etc etc. At the time my Ex couldn't do enough for DS1 (or me come to that). Luckily it didn't unsettle DS1 because they got on amazingly well from the start, and probably the fact he was so young, and also at the time I had a lot of male friends who were around (as DS1 never saw his dad I tried to have lots of male influence around him).

But as I came to realise it was a MASSIVE red flag. It's a fine line - obviously you don't want a man who only wants to see you without your DC, and who seems to treat them as an inconvenience (seen a few threads on here recently along those lines). but equally, its possible to go too far the other way. Some distance, whilst you're working out what's going on between the two of you is a very good thing.

I am another voice in agreement MLM. There's no way I'm doing anything with men while the DC are around. Not fair on them at all. This person isn't your boyfriend - he's someone you've spent some time with. Please slow down a bit - spend some time enjoying your own company and that of your DS.

Guess who has just been asked for a SECOND date?!?!?!?!?

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fuck yeah!!!!

Hi all. So I heard from head teacher again, thought i would bite the bullet and ask him why he is contacting me. Told him I found things a bit high maintenance and maybe we re linking for different things. He was really nasty to me saying I was aggressive and wad really personal. I'm really not an aggressive person at all. I guess I hit a nerve. I shouldnt have said anything I know this.

I totally agree Sponge. I had a friend years back who had a new boyfriend, he pushed to meet the kids after just a couple of weeks, threatening to end the 'relationship' if she didn't allow him to. So she did. Sadly, she put the relationship first. Then later found out that he had served time in prison for hurting the three year old daughter of one of his previous girlfriends. I'm with watch on this one, if ever I am lucky (??) enough to meet a man he will only meet DD if it a relationship with a future. Anything less than that, not a chance!

WATCH I just knew this would turn out good, I just knew it!!

betty Sounds like he is projecting to me. What a knob! I hope you have blocked him? You had every right to tell him how you feel. Block him and move on to the next.

Just to add when I met my Ex I was the thinnest I had ever been as an adult, had a good job, a gorgeous child, a lovely house which I'd bought and furnished myself, lots of friends, and masses of self confidence. I was not in any way an obvious target for an abuser (which he turned out to be). My only weakness was that I wanted a boyfriend. I wanted DS1 to have a family, to give him a dad, a brother/sister....which I did. I just wish I'd realised sooner what my Ex was like.