By Katherin Scott

As a single parent, the dating game has just gotten more complicated.

In addition to the usual difficulty of meeting people, dealing with rejection, and dealing with jerks, you have the kids. You also have the ghost of your past relationship to deal with - which, thanks to your kids, keeps coming back.

It’’s easy to say I'’m too busy for all that and just snuggle in with your children for some wholesome family movies.

But the desire for romance and companionship is just as real as it was before you had kids, and as a single parent now, you are no less deserving.

It’’s worth getting out there, once you'’re ready and trying again. All it takes is a little planning and a little care.

Your kids always come first:
You know it’’s true, and you have to make sure your kids know it, too. You also have to make sure your dates know it.

Remember your kids are dealing with relationship changes, too. You don'’t want to have them attach to a revolving door of role models.

Don'’t introduce your kids and your date until the relationship is serious:
Go meet your date instead of being picked up at your home. Let the kids have their space.

If your kids are older, you can let them know you'’re dating - a fifteen-year-old is just going to be annoyed if you introduce someone you'’ve been out with three times as your friend.

The key is let the kids know your dating life doesn'’t infringe on or threaten their stability or their relationship with you. You go to work; you talk with friends; you go on dates. Keep it simple and separate.

Portion your time so your kids get enough focused one-on-one time:
Don'’t let your dating life take much time away from your kids. If at all possible, schedule your dates for weekends when your kids are away.

If you'’re dating another single parent, find out right away what your custody schedules are. If they conflict, you'’ll have a problem.

Remember that you'’re your kids'’ role model:
You don'’t have to kill your sex life, but you have to be more careful than when you were single. You have to stay healthy, and you have to behave the way you'’d want your children to.

Don'’t subject your kids to a parade of strangers coming out of your room in the mornings. Make sure your dates understand your need for discretion.

If you'’re dating another single parent, they'’ll probably understand, but an adult without children may need to have things explained. Dating as a parent is different from what they'’ll be used to. Talk to them about behavior around your kids and about what to expect from your ex.

When you'’re a single parent, you have to interact more with an ex than non-parents do. Your current relationship will need to understand and accept that.

When it’’s time to introduce your kids, talk with your kids first:
Explicitly affirm your commitment to them. Make sure they understand who it is they'’re meeting. Solicit their thoughts and feelings, but do not ask for their permission or approval.

You are dating, but you are still the parent. Your kids need to know they are first, and they also need to know you'’re still in charge.

Keeping your kids a secret will probably waste your time:
You can'’t end up with someone who has a problem with children. Be careful not to date someone who'’ll use your children to get good with you. Date someone who is genuinely comfortable with kids.

As for yourself; you do deserve to be in a healthy, loving relationship:
Don'’t let your past experiences trip you up. Also, don'’t tell your dates about them. Obviously, if you tell them you'’re a parent, it may come up you'’re divorced.

But you don'’t have to subject your date to long stories of your ex’’s misdeeds. It’’s always in bad taste to complain about past relationships, and that still holds true when your past relationship was ten years long.

Finally - Go for it!
If it’’s been awhile since you joined the dating game, don'’t worry. Some things have changed. The essentials haven'’t. Look out for your kids, look out for yourself, and have fun.

About The Author

Katherin Scott, The Dating Coach, author and speaker coaches worldwide and teaches seminars to help people empower themselves to find love and happiness. Access free downloads, articles, assessments and Katherin’’s ezine at http://www.KatherinScott.com.

By Mark Shah

Do you want to win your ex back? If you had a close, loving relationship with a man who later dumped you, you may want to get back together. You have a lot of emotional investment in the relationship, and may not want to throw it away without an attempt to reignite the flame. Here’’s how to win your ex back.

First of all, you need to analyze your own feelings. Do you still care deeply about your ex? Sometimes a great passion burns into something that’’s merely comfortable. You don'’t want to lose your ex because he’’s like an old slipper. But, comfort doesn'’t make a great relationship. There has to be a great love. If you still have passionate feelings for your old boyfriend, you can move onto the next step of how to win your ex back.

And that next step is examining how he feels about you. Does he have the same kind of grand love? If the problems in the relationship were things you can work on like communication, time management, goal awareness, then you can win your ex back. But, if the problem was deeper like, he was no longer in love with you, then you should start to move on now.

When you have determined that this was a grand love, you can start to work on the things that can bring you back together. For instance, think back to who you were when your boyfriend fell for you. Perhaps you weighed 10 pounds less, had a more optimistic outlook on life, were close to your girlfriends, or were involved in a variety of activities.

After you spend time with a guy, you begin to change. You spend less time with girlfriends or on your own activities as he begins to demand more of your presence. You may have let yourself go because you feel secure in his affection.

If you want to win ex back, you need to go back to being the woman he fell in love with.

Another tip to how to win ex back is to practice detachment. Don'’t call, text, or stalk him. You don'’t want to appear desperate. By seeming to accept the situation, you actually become more desirable to him.

In practicing detachment, you also begin to focus on what makes you happy. You get reconnected to friends and family. You take up hobbies and other things which interest you. You become a more positive person in general. This all helps in winning your ex back.

When you do get together with your ex from time to time, use the past to your advantage. For instance, if there was an outfit he really liked to see you in, wear it. If you eat at a restaurant where you had a good time with him, mention that you were there again. Because you have many positive experiences with this guy, you can use your common history to win ex back.

From time to time, invite your ex to non-committal type events. Ask him to join a group of your friends at a bar or invite him to a party. Let him know he’’s free to bring a date.

Finally, if you want to win ex back, just be yourself. Either he’’s in love with you or he isn'’t. You can'’t change who you are to win your ex back. You can only be yourself.

About The Author

Mark Shah offers relationship expert who offers advice on how to get your ex back. Discover more useful tips on how to quickly get your ex back in record time by visiting http://www.magikofmakingup.info