I'm open to it, but would judge it case by case. So many guys have kids already and it limits the dating pool like crazy if you're not willing. But I don't think I'll ever live with someone again so my situation would make it easier to leave the parenting to the parent and not have to raise anyone. Plus I don't hate kids, just bad parents. If I was going to date a parent, they definitely wouldn't be one of the bad ones.

If I ever became single again (and hopefully not!!), I would possibly be open to it. But the kids would have to be older and moved out, and extremely responsible--i.e., no needing money, and no abuse of babysitting from my partner. Also, the partner would have to be the kind of man who would not give financial handouts, and one who only babysat any grandkids sporadically. So it really just depends on the case. If his kids and grandkids (if any) are cool, it might be fun to hang out with them sometimes. But any more than that, and that shit gets old quick. I tolerate children less and less these days.

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"Every sperm is sacred, every sperm is great. If a sperm is wasted, God gets quite irate." Monty Python, The Meaning of Life

This is one of those things that each CF person has to decide for themselves. I think I personally would not.

However, if I were like 60 or 70 and widowed, and met a nice widower near my age with grown kids, I might be open to it. That's a little different, maybe.

At times I feel this way and other times it's a "hell no". I see the general consensus ranges from"no" to "hell no" with a few "maybes".

I don't want to get involved with a parent or someone who wants to be one. I came to this conclusion after dating my ex. He is a parent, but the mother refuses to let him interact with their kid. This devastates him and he hopes the mother will allow contact one day. Because of this, he really, really wants to be a father and set a good example next time. When we began dating, he knew I was on the fence, and he didn't fuss over it. I eventually decided I wanted to be child-free, but when I first mentioned it to him, he said "It is a deal-breaker, but we could change our minds later on." We dropped the subject for months. When I brought it up again later and he realized I was serious about not wanting kids, he broke up with me. He's now dating a parent. I have to admit, there are times when I think "What if?" (particularly when looking at cute babies and going to shows at my nephew's elementary school), but ultimately the child-free life suits me best.

No, because her offspring will always be her first priority, there is the expectation among a lot of solo mothers that their new boyfriends should fund their life choices, and I don't want to become the evil stepdad. Selfish of me, I know...

Yes, I would date a parent. Children are a product of life and one that a lot of people struggle to avoid... but I guess that's easy for me to say seeing as I am female and most fathers don't have their kids full time. Not wanting children is my choice but it's not a choice I impose on other people; including those that I date.

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I might consider it. I'm more opposed to the idea of adding another human to this planet and having to go through the horrors of pregnancy than I am to the idea of raising a kid. I'm still on the fence about adopting, though I'm sliding down the childfree side currently.

That said, this guy would have to be pretty much perfect in every other respect to get me to consider having to deal with that sort of drama from the get-go. Having to deal with the constant shadow of his ex and the issues with scheduling and kids... It wouldn't be a dealbreaker, but a definite disadvantage.

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The Introvert's Motto: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of being left the fuck alone.

Seeing as how I would like to date some time soon, I've been considering it. Under the right circumstances, I suppose I would, but I'd be extremely picky about it. It would have to be someone who doesn't expect me to support her kids, and she would have to have her own identity outside of being a mom. I get the whole kids being #1 thing, but honestly, if she can have her kid time while I get the alone time that I need, that could actually work out pretty well. If she expects me to give up that alone time and make the kid(s) my top priority too, then it won't.

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This is how I see it.. sounds like a pretty nice setup to me if you do it with the right person.