Internet dating: who's done it and how did it go?

[Tamz77]

I'm a single mum of one, and it's been 5 years - yes, 5 - since I last went on a date. This is particularly getting to me as I'm only 28, I'm actually pretty depressed about it. As it happens I've got no family or friends round here either so not much chance to get away from ds (aged 2) long enough to meet anyone.

Have decided that the internet is my only chance of salvation, but am pretty terrified of the stereotype that the only men on dating sites are axe murderers or paedophiles. Has anyone got any stories (good or bad), hints or tips to share? That would be great as I don't really know where to start, which are the most reputable sites etc, and I'd like to have an idea before I go around paying money to sign up for things!

Thanks in advance!

(ps plese don't laugh at the 5 yrs thing I'm very sensitive about it atm!)

hay "single dad" desperado here! and yes it was a mistake i found to my expence for me {date site] so tell me as a man,how do single mums [who dont work either for the fact that we arnt allowed to earn much [benifit wise]or need to be at home for the children which you have done,
meet "normal" men some ideas would be gratefully recieved as ima desperado! also re long distance , whats the saying love can build a bridge if you really love someone it can be sorted so no one should thow away love because of service station tea

and in answer to this thread,,,i went on two "meets"
one was a complete gentle man ,really nice brought flowers kissed goodbye on the cheek ,,and was wonderful company but "no chemistry" number to well i have a thread re him!
i have a very good wierdo radar and the bells and buzzers lights and alarms were all going off as soon as i met him .but i ignored them to my expence ,,so i am no longer LOOKING for the one!
id say if you use the sights ,which i only did one night out of boredom by the way,do not let down your guard for one secon as there are some reall cases out there who will do and say everything right to make you feel safe and let dowm your guard ,and regards to ,," i can look after myself" and defend yourself ,,believe me until you are in that situation and scared you dont know what you can do ,,,so please be careful ,also i know there are some good men oout there ,,where or how to find them thats the million dollar question ,

sites not sights arggggggghh my brain is somewhere else but you get the point
be careful

sites not sights arggggggghh my brain is somewhere else but you get the point
be careful

Think you may need to do more than just 2 real life dates AAA. I've done 16, although I'm taking a break from dating at the moment. I met quite a few genuine nice blokes but didn't fancy them at all, as well as the freaky pervs, who I also didn't fancy but certainly made for entertaining tales!
I work, but have only met one suitable guy that way. Would love to know how to find dates, other than over the internet - shall wait to see what other replies you get!!!!!

yes bugsy but im def not taking another risk on there ,,i have since read his profile agin and its like jackanory as copared with the truth

thing is all the nice ones are taken as the song goes ,,or else are sitting at home wondering how to meet us

seriously through i was really stupid and am lucky i got off so lightly ,,,if you can call it that

What happened AAA? Surely if you meet them in a public place there is not anything too awful that can happen?

Haven't read the thread, and we didn't meet through a dating site, just the old Freeserve cafe chat room thing, but we have now been married for 5 and a half years, with one son and another baby on the way. As long as you are carefull, it can work, but I get the idea that we are in the minority...

bugsy we did ,but he "left"his wallet at home.

i also met my DP in a chat room, and not a dating site. TBH i wasnt looking for anything or anyone, and neither was he, but over the months we were talking we just got closer and closer. we have now been living together for a year, are expecting our first child in november and are getting married sometime next year. i made a hell of a lot of good friends through the same chat room, who we meet up with regularly, one of them is even going to be my maid of honour at my wedding. without this chat room, i wouldnt have met my DP or all these friends due to living in completely different parts of the country.

one of my friends from there is also moving to england from germany in the next couple of weeks to be with her DP (who is also a friend of mine) and they met in the same chat room. so while i will admit internet dating or meeting people online doesnt work for many people, there are a lot of people it does work for :D

met xh through Time out personals (apparently notorious for kinky sex contacts but i had no idea)

met dh sort of through a website - group of 6 good single female friends invited every website or other single man we could - from 6 'couples' 2 are now married (neither to the person they invited IYSWIM)

my mum is now 11 yrs with a guy via the Independent Hearts column

my aunt now 15 years with a guy via the New Statesman personals

so i think it's all a good idea but would say STRONGLY

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

especially if you are a 'nice' girl who doesn't like to judge people and has been taught that it's important not to write people off just because one thing bothers you? If something is making your stomach curl ever so slightly just don't see them again. Don't. They're big grown men and they can cope.

Other than that, find a route that suits you as a person (not who you'd really like to be, but who you are - it helps if you know who you are which I didn't the first time I did it ) and have fun!!

i too met my DH on the net in a chat room that was in march 2001 we lived 140 miles apart and we moved in together in april 2002,our son was born in december 2002,we married in august 2003 and are very happy.........like has been said before trust your instincts i feel very lucky to have had fate intervene and bring me this wonderful man :o

I too met dh 2b on an internet dating site.

Nearly 3 years on and we're getting married in 2 weeks time!

We met quite quickly afetr meeting, and have been virtually unseparable since

(D*mn superglue he says!! )

I met DH on an internet dating site. We'd never have come across each other otherwise. I'd met, I think, 6 or 7 before him. No nutters but some very needy men!!! Great fun though. And imo not much riskier, if you're sensible, than picking someone up in a nightclub. OK, so in a pub you can't really lie about your age or looks or less-than-incredible dress-sense, but you can still be a nutter underneath.

I met dh on dating.com which I joined partly as a joke/dare after horrible marriage and no dating for years. Is a brilliant way of meeting men as you can get a good idea of who they are before you meet and have a chance of meeting people with things in common. Also, lots of nice men find dating hard work and are less shy this way. My dh and I will be married for 3 years this year and have two little daughters-I still can't believe my luck in meeting him and we lived at the other ends of the country. We did talk a lot before meeting and I would say never meet up with anyone who won't talk on phone, always make 1st meet low key (coffee or lunch), (always tell someone where you are), don't give any info until you want to - just common sense.
Best advice I gave myself was to give blokes a chance and not jump to instant conclusions about them.......At the very least you would be talking to men who would like to talk to you and that has to be good for you. I think we all forget taht men get lonely and want to meet 'the one' also- we're so conditioned to believe they're all bastards! I'd give it a try and have some fun - you deserve it!