Dating as a single mother

I was raised by a single mother, and every now and then we swap stories of our struggles and joys. There is one story that we can’t seem to relate, and that is dating. My mother believes that once you have kids and you become a single parent, you stay that way until your kids have grown. I believe that if you find someone that loves you and love your kids, you can add a little extra to their lives with that extra person. For example: if you do find that person and you marry, two incomes are always better than one and when you have another person there to help out physically, you have more energy and patience. I do understand where my mother is coming from too. It can be a little dangerous --dragging people in and out of your life; not to mention your kid’s lives.

The hardest part about dating is feeling like you are wasting time. Once you have kids, you are dating for a purpose; you want to know where it is headed and how long it will take to get there. But what happens when it all comes to an end? Do you look for someone else? Do you give it another shot, or do you settle in to your single mother hood?