5 Good Reasons To Date A Single Mom (Even If It Isn't Easy)

As we all know, dating can be a challenge. Whether you’re looking for casual flings or a serious relationship, aligning your personality, goals, and priorities with another human’s is extremely difficult. In fact, it’s so rare that many people choose to simply give up.

So, why not expand your options? For example, if you're a guy, have you ever considered single mothers?

Single mothers represent a group that’s often discounted in the dating pool, but certainly shouldn’t be. It’s not easy to win the love of a single mom. But if you do, you’ll be lucky enough to enjoy some of the following things she brings to the table.

1. She's Independent and Mature

Unlike most single women, single moms have to look out for more than themselves. They have children to put first. And most importantly of all – they don’t have much help. Even if the father is still in the picture, he probably only relieves her of the responsibility less than half of the time. That says a lot about single women and reinforces the idea that they won't rely on anyone else to be happy, successful, and sufficient. They're used to relying on themselves to find their happiness and their success, so they won't be clingy or immature.

“Remember she is doing the best she can – working, parenting, taking care of the home and trying to have a social life and date,” Janice Hoffman tells men dating single mothers. That independence builds strength and character.

2. She Knows How to Overcome Challenges

Whether it’s an unplanned pregnancy, failed marriage, or something worse, single mothers have confronted some difficult circumstances. This shows you that, regardless of what happens in your relationship, she'll be able to overcome bigger challenges than other women. The result may not always be what you both have in mind, but you can rest assured she’ll find a way through it.

“I am a single mom and I’m the breadwinner and I have to work and I have to do these things and that’s just the way it is,” actress Charisma Carpenter once said, verbalizing what most single mothers feel.

3. She Appreciates the Small Things

Whether it’s working, carpooling, shopping, cooking, cleaning, playing, or helping with homework, single moms do it all. Unfortunately, they rarely get thanked for what they do. It’s not that their children don’t appreciate them, but that they’re often incapable of reciprocation. As a dating partner, this means anything you do – even something as simple as ordering flowers and sending them to her office – will show her you care. “Above all else, dating single moms appreciate honesty,” says Alaina Sheer of SingleParentMeet.com.

Extravagance is unnecessary – just be you!

4. She Understands Your Busy Schedule

As mentioned, single moms have busy schedules. That means they understand when you’re busy, too.

As Rachel Wolchin writes, “My entire life can be described in one sentence: it didn’t go as planned, and that’s ok.” While you should always clearly communicate your schedule and plans, single moms are more likely to let you off the hook when something comes up last minute (just as you should when the shoe’s on the other foot). They value what you bring to the table and appreciate your time.

5. She Knows Exactly What She Wants

Soul searching comes standard for single moms. Single mothers have had time to consider and understand what went wrong in previous relationships and are aware of what they want and need the second time around. This no-nonsense approach can be a breath of fresh air when you’re used to dating women with experimental attitudes.

As one single mother once said, “A woman should never invest in a relationship she wouldn’t want for her daughter, nor allow any man to treat her in a way she would scold her son for.”

So, what are you waiting for? Discover what millions of men already have: Dating a single mother is a rich and rewarding experience.