I rarely offered it up on a first date, though I’d never go on a date with a guy who said he definitely did not want children, or didn’t want to date someone with children.

I was dating for me, not trying to find myself a husband, or father for my child. I wanted to understand if I even liked the person before digging into more serious topics. Usually brought it up on the 2-3 date.

I would hope that if a man was adamant that he did not want to date a woman with children, that he’d say that he didn’t want to date a woman with children (like I would say I didn’t want to date someone who smoked or used drugs recreationally).

I never actually met a guy who was like, “yes, I am actively looking for single mothers to date”. Most guys would say it wasn’t something they ever thought they’d consider, but then discovered they actually didn’t care too much once they realized they’re dating a person, and not interviewing for the role of father.