Did anyone end up with a decent/professional/loving man when you were a single parent?

[SoRnsld]

I am a single mum to a little boy and I can’t imagine ever meeting anyone again. I’m 35 so not getting younger. I would love a family unit but I am in a professional job and relatively high earner. I feel like I will never meet anyone in the circles I am in and will forever be left out. I would happily date any nice man, it’s not about their job, but I’m just conscious that I only tend to meet people through work and extensions of people/friends I know in similar jobs.

No answer to your question from me, OP, but I can see your point.

I don't want to date people/friends of people who are connected/known to me by my work/friendship network and I really, really can't abide online dating!

If you want some (hypocritical) advice then it'd seem that you need to widen the opportunity to meet a potential partner, via online dating or new social activities, etc or you'll have to have a closer look into your current circles.

Either way, you're only 35 so you've plenty of time. Good luck!

Yeah l did. Took some finding though. And it was in 1999nedore Timder or the likes.

5 years of dating to find him. We did blind dates in those days.

Do not sell yourself short and say that you would date any nice man. You need someone with more qualities that that and someone that you fancy.

Yes! Finally.

Was your age when we met. Had been a single mum for 15 years though with some dating errors/ disasters on the way.
I had definitely and happily given up and then surprise!

Yup! Just before my 40th birthday. On an app. We've been together ever since and even had a surprise DC ❤️

yes! I did a favour for a friend at work and did the secretarial bits for a meeting he ran at work because he was short a team
member. They often had outside stakeholders come in and my now DH was Ken of them. We bonded over our dislike of tea and coffee and what biscuits were top tier

I emailed out the minutes and actions. He asked if next time he was at my work we could get lunch. I’d been a single mum 4 years with an almost 5 year old. Whirlwind romance but 6 years later we’re happily married with two little ones of our own. He’s the best man and is like a dad to my son

Yes, I did. Three children, two late teens and a nine year old. I was 45 when I met the most wonderful man. I met him through a hobby. I kept thinking I'd find something wrong with him, but he was a decent, honest and kind man. He was a brilliant step dad and when DD's father died he became her dad, which they both wanted. I never thought I could be so lucky, but I was in the end. We have been married for 25 years and very happy.

Hi there,

I am in the same predicement. My partner of 10 years has just left me and my 19 month old. Im not in the mindset to get into a new relationship but it is hanging in the back of my head. The big thing is 'how will i afford to buy now' we were saving hard and just feel like i wont get a mortgage on my own - Im on a relatively good wage. Has anyone experienced similar?

I was a 30 and a single parent when I met my DH. We met online dating. We've been married for 17 years and have DS together.

My advice would to be open minded - try not to have to many reasons to rule someone out, e.g. DH is a Christian, I'm not and I almost friend zoned him for that reason, but a friend said I should be more open minded (which TBH I thought I was but clearly not in this case), and he was right.

Yes, I was a single parent at 38 (first husband died) to a very young child and met a wonderful man through work. I don't think I could have done OLD, although I know some very happy stories from those who have done. We married after 5 years together and he adopted our son. I was solvent, independent and managing fine, but DH is the best thing that could ever have happened to us. We've been married 13 years.

I'm 40 and 9 months into dating a guy who meets all those criteria. I have teenagers, he has an 8yo. We are taking it slow but I'm happy.

Yes, but I have chosen not to do any blending or step parenting. He's a brilliant guy and were very happy, several years in with separate houses and lives as far as family goes but we message every day and have our time together mostly when the kids are elsewhere. So not a 'family' but I prefer it this way, after being badly let down by my exH who fucked off with ow, I wouldn't allow myself or kids to be in that situation again.

Yes only recently so it's early days but is possible.

Why do you not think it's likely in your line of work? Would you consider online dating? Plenty of professional men on the apps

@Roseiri So your primary concern is whether you'll meet a partner who will financially enable you to buy a property?

Yes. When my child was 1.5 years I got with a friend from a mutual interest group. I believe I have been very fortunate to meet him but I met him in real life so we knew one another well and had similar interests. We are married and he is my child's dad.

I don't believe a "ready made family" is necessarily offputting for men. I think it made it a lot easier though that my ex was completely out of the picture. I think going into a family where you're already pitted against another man would be more difficult.

I did, 4 kids and met lovely guy wasn’t in any rush and still not but things going well and happy. I did meet a guy who wasn’t right and finished it and had a bit of a bad experience so stayed single for a long time and actually just enjoyed life on my own with the kids so when I met this guy it was lovely but I wasn’t looking and I didn’t need him as such - not sure that that makes sense. But I think it’s so happy to manage and be happy yourself before dating - single parent or otherwise

I hope so.

Two of my best friends have met really lovely, professional men in the last few years. Now both engaged and very happy. It's certainly possible!

Two friends..both professionals. One met a guy at a hobby we both enjoyed. He was a newcomer and spotted her straight away. A really lovely guy. Married years now with two more children.
Another friend starting seeing a guy who was in our social circle all along. Also married years with two more children.
Both guys were also professionals with very high earnings. All this happened before online dating.

Me! I was a single parent to DD before I met DH. She was 4 when we got together and he's Dad. DH adopted her.

It's entirely possible to meet a wonderful man as a single parent OP. Just make sure you have strong boundaries, be on the lookout for any red flags and be honest with yourself about any potential partner.

We're together 20 years this year 😊

My sister did, although it took a while. Her daughter was mid late teens when she met her now husband and she had been a single parent for a good ten years by then. Her now husband had a couple of teens as well, a bit older than hers. They have been married 13 years now.

Yep... Aged 51 with an 11 year old, met a lovely educated professional man on POF . Still going strong three years later .Currently still a long distance relationship as family / work commitments are based in different cities but see each other every weekend and holidays .

I did! I was 29 when we met, with a just turned 4 year old. He has no children (never wanted any of his own) and is ten years older than me. He’s not a professional but he is a hard worker and is very financially stable. I wasn’t aware of how financially stable until I moved in with him, so that wasn’t really an important factor to me.

he is kind, and is good to my son, who no longer has any contact with his dad and sees my partner as a father figure. He is generous and loving and bloody gorgeous too.

I had been single for 6 years when I met my (now ex) DP when I was 29. We were together for 13 year. After we broke up, and another 6 years single I met the most amazing man.

Neither of which where from OLD.

I did, age 33 with a one year old. That was nearly 5 years ago