[Prettybones]

I am a 26 year old female. I havent dated for 2 years and finally I resorted to online dating. I actually hit it off with someone and we planned to go on a date this weekend. Long story short: he asked me out and I haven't heard from him. I even casually double checked if we were still going out... No response. I'm already bummed out trying to date in the real world and now online dating is also failing me. I am educated, attractive, in shape, nice, funny... I don't know what is wrong with me or if it's the type of guys I'm attracting. I've been known to fall for the charmers and bad boys. I'm realizing this is getting me nowhere. I am just stuck and my self esteem is slowly plummeting. On top of that I have a 2 year old so I don't have time to date as it is. Any advice?

[jns]

Not every guy who wants to be in a relationship wants to have the distraction of a two year old. That being said, there are plenty of others would not have a problem with that situation.

You have listed a number of qualities that most guys would like. What other qualities have you listed in your online questionnaire, have you disclosed having a young child and are you limiting yourself to the charmers and bad boys? Maybe a better fit with having a child would be a guy who wanted to settle down and was a committed provider. Maybe a little too vanilla for you.

Are you working? Are you a partyer or more of a homebody?

[Hugo-B]

I think a lot of single parents find it easier to date other single parents, for obvious reasons. Internet dating can be invaluable in that it offers the opportunity to make contact with people you'd never otherwise get the chance to meet, but at the same time exposes you to people you wouldn't give the time of day to under any circumstances. You must be aware of its limitations. It also appears to put the typical roles of dating in the initial stages onto an equal footing as far as men and women are concerned which many women feel uncomfortable with since they find themselves facing rejection which they are not used to. This is unfortunate and I would encourage women to be proactive in messaging men and asking them out, many women are doing it now, and there are definitely no connotations of 'desperation' attached, at least not in my opinion.

I would also recommend joining a dating site which you have to pay for, so there will be less time wasters on there.

I'm sure you'll be fine. I had never dated a girl with children, and have been with my GF who has 2 (a 3 and a 6 year old) for nearly a year now! We just got on so well I had to make an exception to the rule, although we don't live together). I dated her for 7 months before I met her kids, and met their dad shortly after, whilst we're not BFF's we actually had a bit of fun (I took him out for a drink) and got on pretty well. We are accepting of each other, can communicate directly if needs be (she doesn't like it when we text each other) and I reassured him that if things went well I wouldn't start telling his kids things like 'you've got 2 daddies now' and rubbish like that, I told him that I respected they were his family and I wouldn't interfere with that.

In short, these arrangements can work, I have no kids BTW and have never wanted any. My GF's took to me luckily and we get on well, I look forwards to seeing them now and then and we always have fun when we do, I love ice cream, sweets, and playing around so it suits me fine.

All this boils down to pretty bones is finding someone you're compatible with, that's all.

Good luck x