Depends a lot. I guess the short answer would be yes, but as a single with no children I must admit it would initially make me feel uncertain.

Edit: thus is just my personal take. I believe it’s nobody’s business to say who should date who, each to their own.

I wouldn’t date either of my parents.

Of course, it’s much easier when they’re single.

I did. We got married and had two more. In retrospect, I think she would not choose over 30 years of active parenting. I am really enjoying how close I am with my kids and, while I’m still close with and important to 2 of the older 3, their dad is still their dad.

I don’t want kids and I’m not interested in short term flings so I wouldn’t.

It’s not not wanting to “raise someone elses kid” but rather just not wanting kids period. I didn’t get snipped at 21 just to wind up with a kid anyways.

At the same time I wouldn’t be opossed to a hookup with someone because they are a single parrent if that’s all they were looking for as well. But I’m asexual so hookups just aren’t my thing period.

Much easier to date married parents because then you don’t have to worry about someone being available to watch the kids.

I did, she got married and is no longer single.

Depends on the relationship with the kid and what expectations are for me.

I currently am. We’re 3 years in to the relationship and her and her daughter have moved in.

We’re planning on getting married.

We didn’t plan this, we were friends before she got married but despite going on a date, neither of us caught the flirting of the other. She got deployed and then got married and had a child. We started talking again when she was going through her divorce and I was planning to move out of state. Neither of us wanted anything serious. She wanted to go through a bit of a slutty phase and just have fun, so we just started hooking up. And then we caught feelings for each other.

Every single day, I reflect just a bit and am amazed how happy they make me. There has never been anything that has made me smile so much as how much I love her and love being her step dad.

Single mom? Absolutely. Single dad? No. But thats mostly because I like women.

I would never say single parents shouldn’t date. What a horrible thing to say. Some single parents maybe shouldn’t date while they get their personal lives in a good place, but that applies to anyone whether they have kids or not.

As for whether I would date one, sure. Age of kid(s), how the single parent sees my role, and where they are with establishing custody if there’s another parent in the picture matters.

Very unlikely to date a single father ever again. Tried that multiple times and the draw of gender roles to put mother-type responsibilities on me was an ever-present threat.

The single mothers I’ve dated had their child-rearing under control, had good communication, and were intentional with how they asked me to interact with their kids. Much healthier for the kids and for our relationships.

I probably wouldn’t date someone with multiple very young children. I will not date someone in the middle of contentious divorce or custody negotiations.

I’d say if you understand that if it gets serious, you will find yourself in a parental role of some kind (specific degree varies situation to situation), and accept that as a something you will step up to as necessary, go for it.

I was a dumb-as-rocks 20 year old when I met my ex-wife and her kid. Now my marriage is over, but I am that kid’s de facto dad and that’s pretty much a ‘for life’ thing. I don’t regret that and they are the most important human in my life, and I like to think I did a decent enough job helping raise them (no worse than my own young parents, at least). But if I had a time machine, I can’t say I wouldn’t go back and ask young Cracks if he really understands what he’s getting into.

That said, circumstances could have been such that the dynamic was different (older kid at time of arrival, more involved biodad, etc.), so YMMV. But regardless, people with kids are a package deal, and that needs to be seriously considered when dating/getting into a relationship. If that doesn’t line up with what you want out of life, there’s absolutely no shame in that.

I have… but I realized I don’t want kids

Sure, both my ex-wife and my wife were single mothers. If you like children you can get friends for life even if the relationship doesn’t work out.

When my wife turned 18, she had her last name legally changed to her stepdad’s. That was her way of telling him who he was to her.

My oldest doesn’t share my last name and still calls me by my first name to my face. But, I know she refers to me as “dad” when she thinks I’m not around.

No regrets dating or marrying a single mom. She is still my best friend and the person I most enjoy being around.