Dating with kids...literally?!

[ScouseBird8364]

Have any of you guys ever met up for coffee and a chat with a potential date, whilst having your baby DC with you??

Just that really?!

I'm female but I'd be very happy to go on a date including kids.

However I imagine their mum probably wouldn't be too happy about it (rightly so!) and - depending on the age of the child - they might find it confusing.

I think if the guy is ok with it then why not. Particularly as only a baby who may sleep through the whole date.

If you were to take the baby on a coffee date, and you did get on well, how would you arrange further dates though? It would be okay for an initial lunchtime coffee but further more romantic dates would really not be suitable.

You may not have any friends/family nearby who can help out but surely there's the option to pay for a babysitter who has references and is DBS checked?

Can you use mush.com or similar to find a single mum nearby who'd be happy to reciprocate with free babysitting? I'd definitely be up for finding someone to do this with.

When DS was under 1 I would have considered it, no older though.

tbh I found dating hard when dd was young even with a babysitter it was still a mission.
Been single with dd since she was born and depressing as it is kind of put dating to one side for a long time.
she's now 9 so a little easier but I think dating with really young children is a nightmare and I wouldn't bother.
Sorry maybe not what you want to hear but I'm just being honest.

some single parents move into house shares. one advantage then is that they can reciprocate on babysitting.

some also go to gingerbread groups and develop friendships. they then can look after each others kids. some even do a night every weekend for each other so they can have some kind of social life.

there are some possibilities

Um, nursery?

No, going on a date with a baby is weird. I don't even socialise with my friends with my kids in tow. You can't focus on the other person with your kids around and it makes you look like the sort of single-minded person who literally only exists for their kids - you're trying to convey that, despite being a mother, you do have some sort of personality left.

One day a week nursery? I mean, if all your friends and relatives are dead/non-existent/mad drug addicts, sorry to hear it. My parents are alcoholics so they can't do childcare, my friends all emigrated and then my siblings and grandparents did too. Kind of annoying. So I can appreciate what it's like to have no family care at all, but that's why there are nurseries.

Oh hell no!

I was single when dd1 was small. When she was old enough to be left with a baby sitter (paid, no family near by) I could start dating. She was three when I met dp.