Is online dating the only way to meet men if you are over 45?

[sc13]

This may be ironic coming from a MNetter, but I don't like the idea of online dating. At the same time, I am 46, and go out twice a month if I'm lucky (that's when DS is with his dad). At work I just happen to be in a female-dominated profession. I have been out of the dating scene for 20 years.
Does 'dating in the wild' still exist, or is everyone going online these days?

@ comingtokent I agree about not getting into lengthy convos online. I got into an email /text thing with a man, and we really clicked online. He always knew when I was being funny and we never misunderstood each other. He had been through the wringer himself though and had come out of it with increased empathy instead of being bitter.. sounds good right? but when I arranged to meet him after a month of virtual communication, my heart sank when I saw him coming. I just knew I could never in a million years take it any further. And it wasn't that he was 'unattractive' per se. I just felt this bubble burst. The 'relationship' had been with my computer. That's what it felt like as this man walked towards the table. I couldn't connect that man to what I believed I'd become close to. Think he felt the same tbh

I do agree that getting out and about and involved in an activity is the way to go, but there is the little matter of DS (he's only 6) and being left with very little time. Do people really look for dates among the single fathers at the school gates?

BigBandwitch - exactly! The real life person is so much more (or possibly less, depending on your view) than even the most articulate online interaction. Even meeting in person can be a bit confusing - I met one chap for two dates, was having misgivings, then about 10 minutes into date no. 3 I knew it would never do anything for me. That was the first time I'd 'chucked' someone since about 1981 and made rather awkward by the fact that he was obviously keen.

All character building stuff though because of course it works both ways. Like most people I ended up being both chucker and chuckee in my 9 or so months of internet dating adventures.

For those women who just aren't meeting anybody in the normal run of their lives I'd definitely say give it a go if you can muster up the nerve. It stops feeling an artificial way of meeting people after a while - just a way of getting in touch with people whose path you wouldn't normally cross.

sc13 - for me it wasn't exactly looking for dates among single fathers, more like thinking at a social event run by the school "statistically, some of these men simply must be single"!

But it could just have been that I was pretty stir crazy by then.

I'm 50 and divorced and far too scared to do online dating. Not because of potential psychos, I just don't have the confidence to do it. I find it impossible to meet men.
I live in the NW in a quite rural area, may have to look into my local ramblers group. (Would need to get fit first though).

and buy a cagoule, auxey ...

Haven't worn a cagoule since they were actually in fashion, I think that was 1977

My mum met her first two post-dad partners online. One was an arse and one was really nice but very batty. She met her current, nice partner through the village committee. The old wisdom about joining things still holds good.

I have to say Imperial, that with an attitude that negative, it's no wonder you find it hard to meet people.

I'd be far too scared to ever think about whether any of the fathers at school were single or not. Recently at a school social I went with some other women who coincidentally are single as well. I don't hang 'round with those same two on a regular basis but because the three of us were together we were being watched. I swear to God We spoke to some married fathers, sometimes known as 'people' and the wives circled the wagons ykwim? honestly, twas pathetic. So even if there are single fathers at the school I don't think they'd go to any events.

Single fathers from school are too much of a minefield. Chances are, one meets the mums first; they talk about the exes, and one gets all sorts of too much information. It is a rare woman who has complimentary things to say about a man she splits up from while kids are still in primary school.