Are some guys genuinely cool with sharing their time?

[SixKeys]

I mean they must be, right? I'm having a confidence crisis. I'm a lone parent to a 4 year old. I've recently started dating and am going on a lunch time date today. Had a handful of dates in the past couple of months but none that I've wanted to see again. I've just got this idea in my head that my limited schedule is going to be a massive pain in the arse and put guys off. When they realise I don't actually get time off other than when my parents or siblings have my son the occasional night here and there. I know that this will be the case for some men, and the reality is that I also don't tend to date men with children (I did in the past, but I think it would be too stressful now trying to work around two schedules when I have so little time already). Just here for some reassurance that it can work!

The right guy will work around it surely?

Yes it can work. You probably stand more chance if they have children (although that adds more complications / demands on time) as they will understand.

Any decent man will understand and accommodate if they are keen on you.

I dated (later married him) while I had DCs and there were no issues as he also had DCs.

Find a man that has equally non negotiable commitments.
Mine is freelance in the entertainment / media industry. Away for long periods sometimes at short notice. Him and pretty much all his peers are on 2nd wives as the first couldn’t cope with the job and family life. Too much like being a single mum but with a mountain of washing/ packing, unpacking arriving home every few weeks and listening to their fun interesting job.
However great for partners that can get on with their own life whilst being emotionally invested in a relationship with all or nothing time together . Perfect for functioning single parents that want someone to do the fun things in life with but don’t want a conventional 24/7 relationship.

I think it’s going to be hard. I dated a full time single dad recently who just had his parents to babysit and it didn’t work out. He just didn’t have the time. If you find someone who is happy to see you once every x weeks etc then it might work but I didn’t date when mine were younger as I just didn’t feel it was fair when I had no time to commit. I wouldn’t have introduced my child for a good 6 months (longer if only seeing once every couple of weeks). People will say the right person will be ok with it but it’s not easy getting to know someone who isn’t free very often. But good luck - like others have said the right person might be fine with it

I think that at the start of a relationship you need an intensity to get things going. I don't have children and I would find it hard to date someone who simply didn't have time for whatever reason even a non negotiable.
I wouldn't want to be with someone who was fitting me in. I recently found a message that I had sent to a guy who cancelled two dates because of work commitments. It said that I was fine with cancelling one date but I knew I couldn't be with someone who didn't really have space for me in their life because it would be on their terms not ours. I think it's a really big ask and you would be better looking for a with children so that there's mutual compromise.

Hopefully he will have his own stuff too so won't be waiting by the phone for you to call. I'm sure it's perfectly normal for adults to have healthy relationships with time together and apart.

The only thing I'd watch out for is if you both have kids alternate weekends and it's difficult to fit each other in. I'd say that's rare.

Happy hunting!

single parent here (100% care) and single for the whole time pretty much. Dating has been an impossibility as I have no childcare. Tried a few online dates, met only idiots and concluded it wasn't worth it. Paying for a babysitter was out of my budget. Dating during school hours really limits things.

DC is 10 now, so hopefully things will get a bit easier from here if I do decide to date again.