This article was written by Sophie Rosen of DivorcedMoms.com.
Being a single mother almost always means a life spent racing the clock. Our days often begin well before dawn and extend long past sundown. In between, our schedules are filled with the rigors and challenges of balancing career, child rearing, and homemaking.
An evening spent with a great guy is something I know I always look forward to. But what guys think is a dating hot spot may be, for a single mom, a surefire dating not-not.
Here are 5 places never to take a single mom on a first date.
1. A fondue restaurant. Who wouldn’t love to cook her own meal? Someone who does it every day, three times a day, and on weekends! The last thing I want to see is raw chicken and steak sitting on my plate in a restaurant. And at the table where I will eat, no less! I can cook comfortably (and safely) at home, where I have my Windex within close reach for added measure. I’m also pretty sure a guy will not find my extreme use of hand sanitizer at the table very sexy. And, if on the off-chance I do contract salmonella, I will definitely not remember him fondly. Thanks, but no thanks.
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2. The movies. Guys may think sitting in a dark movie theater next to a woman is romantic. There's a little hand holding, maybe some smooching. But not necessarily true for a single mom. We are always exhausted. Always. And sleep comes at a premium. Give us a cushy chair in a warm, dark theater, and chances are it will be lights out within minutes. Not even a shirtless Ryan Gosling could wake this single mama when I’m down for the count. Of course, I know I’ll be seeing him in my dreams. But I digress …
3. The mall. Okay, it’s not 1987, and we’re not in high school anymore. Unless a guy tells me for a fact that Jon Bon Jovi will be walking around the mall with his '80s glam rock hair signing autographs, I’m not game. As a single mom, the mall is merely a reminder of too many ill-fated, temper-tantrum-ridden trips to The Gap and desperate attempts to feed whining, hungry kids at a packed food court circa holiday time. I definitely won’t be looking to make out with him under the escalator on this date.
4. Walgreens. We’re not in college anymore, and I don’t hook up. I’m a single mom. I have children, for goodness' sake! A guy should buy protection before our date, not during, or he will surely find himself in need of some serious protection from one pissed mutha. Talk about a mood killer. Sheesh.
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5. The shared marital home. I don’t care how amicable a guy claims his divorce is. I will not be comfortable kissing him on the same couch where his ex watches episodes of Cougar Town four nights a week. Even worse will be if I admire the way his ex lives. If I like her choice in paint colors. Her Ralph Lauren furniture. Because maybe, just maybe, if her lifestyle reminds me too much of my own, I may just grow to like her. And, as we know, single moms can never have too many friends!
Where is the worst place a guy ever took you on a date?
Image via JoePhoto/Flickr
