Would any of you single guys date a woman who has a child?

[sfloriII]

Just curious: would any of you guys date a woman if she already had a child? Why or why not?

I have at least three friends who have met and married women who had children from previous marriages or relationships. Each case was successful. In two of the marriages, they each went on to have six or more children!

OK, it's not completely out of curiosity. I've been friends with this one woman for a couple years (via email-- she lives 150 miles from me) and kinda have an attraction towards her, but am not sure. Just feeling things out.......

[jjalex]

I'm not single, but if you like her, date her and see how much you really like her. You never know, but you might just like her child too....

[Kuan]

Yes, if I were single, and if it were only a date. If it were to get serious... well.... too many ifs.

[jassz]

1. Look carefully through the child's hair, and if you see the tatooo "666', RUN and don't look back. If not, get to know the child a bit.

2. Keep in mind is that 'other people's kids' are always more poorly behaved than you are sure yours would be.:p

3. Most children act their worst the first time they meet someone (uncontrolled excitement I guess), so don't be too put off my 'first' impressions.

4. I'm assuming widowed since there's no such thing as divorced Catholic, is there? Anyway, sometimes 'Dad' can complicate things in that the child tries to sabotage new relationships hoping Mom will go back to Dad. Better off if he's completely out of the picture.

5. The younger the child, the more adaptable (usually).

6. Mostly it depends on whether or not you LIKE kids.

Good luck!
PS Don't ever be left alone with the child and a full roll of duct tape

[william rogers]

I'm not single but if the child was female over 21 and beautiful why not........
William Rogers..........

[The Warden]

At the age I'm at right now, I don't think so, simply 'cause it's more than i could handle. At a later age, I would be okay with it...but I strongly believe that anyone who chooses to date a woman with a child has to remember that he needs to be the child's friend, too. As a child, I remember my mom dating a few guys (we even moved in with one for a year; I was so miserable I seriosuly contemplated suicide...and this was in the 5th grade!) who didn't really want anything to do with me; they just wanted to be around her. That can be really demeaning to a child...and, while I think my example was a bit extreme (he really made my life miserable), I for one think it's real unfair to the child...

Just my $.02

[sfloriII]

Thanks guys!

Yeah, I'm not in the mindset to persue a long-distance thing anyway. I've done it a couple times, and really don't want to do it again.

I guess I didn't mention: the child is less than two years old and she's an un-wed mother, not a widow. (Uh....even we Catholics get into those situations too )

[Snibble]

Stefano... check out the movie "Problem Child"

[Robert Mowbray]

I was married for 15 years and had 2 kids when my wife left me for another guy (who also had 2 kids). She married him and has since divorced him, too! I met a widow with 3 children, and we have been married for 9 years.
BEST OF LUCK!!! BOB

[el presidente]

Stefano,

It looks like there is more to the picture than just dating a woman with a child.

There is also the issue of distance. 150 miles.

Don't focus on her just yet. Find someone closer to home.

FWIW, I dated a few ladies with children. Didn't bother me at all, but the relationships never progressed further for other reasons.

[G-Benz]

Dated one with two young boys several years ago. She didn't own a car, so the boys were eager to go anywhere with me...even if it was to the hardware store!

We had some issues with what direction our lives should take, so the relationship ended...amicably though.

I would agree that ex-Dads can really muck up the works...fortunately, in that relationship, he never had any interest at all.

[Piotr]

my ex-wife's daughter was 2 when I met them. Mother (26) was in the process of divorcing hubby (he cheated with a 18-year old). We dated for 7 years and then married. The child was delightful and called me "daddy" (called the father "father"-very much in the picture, everybody was very friendly). She was completely broken-hearted when Mommy left me for a fellow amature tenor 15-years her junior 3 years later.

I'm not bitter... :p

If it wasn't for that, would have never met my current wife and my son would have never been born

So, the kid was fine, it was the mother, who... etc etc. Oh, have I mentioned that everybody in this story was Catholic??
We rule...

[TTaM]

I don't know if I would or not. I dated a girl when I first came to college. She was 17, I was 18. Her parents came to visit. She was very attached to what I thought was her sister. After her parents left, I commented on how much it looks like she loves her sister. She then dropped the bomb that it was her daughter, she had her when she was 14. That kinda creeped me out, plus I didn't like the fact that she hid it from me. That is too much baggage for me to handle at such a young age. Now I am older and still don't think I would date a woman with children, simply because I am too young to be dealing with that, [or at least I feel so mentally]. Though the way my dating life has been going lately, perhaps an attractive woman with kids wouldn't be so bad...

[G-Benz]

I too, had dated a woman who had a child at such an early age that they would both frequent the nightclub scene together!

She always told me she had a daughter, but I never knew how old until I was at her place once, and a girl who had a striking resemblance (I thought was her roomate) walked in. That was pretty wierd.

But considering their lifestyle, I don't think the "stepfather" issues would have even come into play.

Needless to say, I had a very casual relationship...

Well, I don't particularly want to have a family, so that would be an automatic negative point in my case. However, it would NOT be a total turnoff if the person's character was first rate.