Taking children on dates

[WhatanEmbarrasment]

I am on a single parents group and many of them are saying they bring their toddlers/ children on dates and it’s no different to meeting a stranger out and about with them. What’s your opinion on taking children on dates? Or meeting someone who bought their child along? I’m surprised so many people would do this but apparently no different to meeting a friend (as in people you don’t know not someone you already know so meeting someone when you have your child with you)

No it's weird. I was a lone parent for years and when I'd sometimes say I was struggling with get a babysitter when online dating, I had some guys offer to round to my house with my son there! 🤮 Scary to think some women probably took them up on the offer.

@Rosinda totally! I'm a single parent and would love to meet someone but not like this and not with a five week old baby! All I keep thinking about is the sweet 18-month who was murdered by his mother and mother's boyfriend! Just upsets me that this happens

@Wooloohooloo grim! Some people would actually do that!

Children aren’t stupid. They understand much more of what is going on them give them credit for. They will also reach retroactive understanding and have to deal with interpreting their parent’s choices.

Most of the single parents on a forum would take their DC's on a date? Yea, right, don't believe all you read. Anyone can post on a forum, anyone including men who don't even have DC's. It really is not a thing responsible parents do, not unheard of, but rare.

It’s a single parents support group

How desperate must people be to do this? Vile and just ripe for welcoming an abuser into your child's life. Any woman or man who agrees to meet at soft play is weird.

There was people saying they would never do it but then they were told they shouldn’t leave the house then that kind of thing

Why would you want to? How would you get to know the date if you are distracted my children stuff?

It’s not right. I remember I was online dating and one guy suggested our first date be at a park with his 10 year old son. I said no because it gave me the impression he was wanting me to audition as a step mum instead of prioritising getting to know each other as a couple.

Aside from the safeguarding that’s my main issue with it. Surely on a date you’re giving the other person your undivided attention and you can’t do that while little Johnny is in the ball pit shouting ‘look mummy’

That argument makes no sense. Most of us leave the house on a daily basis and we’re not on dates 24/7