I am a single mom and have a full time job so getting out and trying to meet new people is a chore. I would like to date and my friends are pressuring me to join an online dating site. Is this a good idea or does it just reek of desperation?
~Single and Searching.
Online dating is actually a sensible alternative to meeting people in bars or night clubs. It doesn't reek of desperation. In fact, with more and more people sharing their success stories from online dating sites, it has become much more acceptable and even trendy.
Signing up is free at Match.com® Official Site
or you can get a 7 Day Free Trial @ Chemistry.com
. The monthly cost of a membership at an online dating site is often less than the cost of one night of bar hopping with your friends. Plus, having a profile on an internet dating site makes you available to be found at any time. Which means that your exposure to new people is not limited to just the time that you are out looking to socialize.The best approach to internet dating is to treat it like any other social networking site. You want to start by just finding new friends. Communicate with these new friends throught the dating sites anonymous email system until you decide whether they are worth getting to know better. Another advantage to online dating is the ability to remain anonymous and not give out any personal information. This is a great feature, especially for women.
Of course, as a single parent you will want to take a few extra precautions. On your profile you will want to be honest and mention that you have children, how many and whether they live with you but you should not post pictures of your children or provide their names. Maybe I'm just being paranoid but it's better to be safe than sorry. You want people to know what they are getting into if they would like to start dating you but you don't want to advertise your children to potentially bad people.
If you'd like to get some other opinions, you should take a look at this blog that discusses online dating.
