There is something about being a single father that brings most girls to their knees, giving off appreciative “coo-ing” and “ahh-ing” noises from any girl with half a heart. When you bear this in mind, you may actually find that dating as a single father is actually an easier process than you first may have thought, but yet still so many men out there are scared to jump on the dating bandwagon simply because of their current situation.

There are a few tips that you can use in order to make your online dating experience a happy one, especially for those that have other things on their mind, such as their children. We have neatly compiled them in an easy to read guide for you to peruse:

One of the best places that you can meet new people, especially in the same situation as you; a single parent, is online. You will have access to many more people than you usually would, especially when all you day is hang out at the grocery store and in the kindergarten, and this is why it is great for so many people, and also why it has become increasingly popular of late. You can search for those that have kids, or at least those that are open to the idea of kids, and this will make rejection because of your children a much lower rate.

A lot of people, especially men, find it hard to admit that they have children right from the get-go, in the fear that many women will be put off by this, especially when they don’t have children of their own. This can lead to rejection a lot later on when you have already invested time, effort and money into someone that you really like.

The best time to divulge the information that you have kids is right at the beginning, before you even speak to each other – usually, many online dating websites will have a specific search category that states whether or not you already have children. Use this box to your advantage, and you will already wean out those suitors that are not compatible with you.

What about the kids themselves? It can be hard for a daddy to have to explain to his kids that he is going out with a new person, especially when it would seem as if this new person is trying to fill Mommy’s shoes. This is going to be a tough one to get right in all fairness, and without a bit of “wrapping up in cotton wool”, you run the risk of your kids hating this new person in your life.

It is probably best to have this conversation with your kids well before you start even thinking about dating, especially if they are old enough to understand, and just explain that daddy is looking for a new friend as he gets lonely when he doesn’t have friends of his own age to play with, as such. No kid wants to see daddy sad, and by doing it in this manner, you are more likely to win the kids over with a bit of a sympathy vote.

In all fairness, each person’s approach to dating will be completely different from someone else, so only you can decide when and how the time is right. Be honest in all respects – to your kids, to your potential new partners, and above all else, to yourself.