Disagree with a lot of advice here tbh and I had a lot of OLD success in terms of matches, no cat fishing, decent guys, not after sex etc. Altho I met my DP in the wild lol so obviously not thst successful OLD but I had no disasters!
I was also a mum with young kids.
Here's my advice
Be honest on your profile about what you want and dont want.
Know your boundaries and values before you create a profile.
Dont lower your standards or values.
Be honest with your pictures too (no filters)
Chat for around 48 hours. Hopefully the man suggests the date (men lead with intention if interested)
If after 48 hours of chat there is no mention of a date set one up. Make it a day date with coffee etc and keep it short.
If they bail or are flaky or you cant pin them down to meet, ditch them. You don't want a pen pal.
If you cannot get a date organised within 2 weeks bin it off. It will never work.
Mention children yes. Thats it. Dont overstate anything.
Dont ever ever invite anyone back to your house til you are at least 6 months in a committed relationship (that house is your childrend home)
Dont introduce the kids til a year has passed.
OLD is savage. You need to be strong and know your worth.
Consider everyone a stranger til at least date 4..
Finally dont go off words, anyone can say or be anything online. Go off actions.
If a man wants you he will move heaven and earth and you will not be left feeling confused.
Good luck!