Dating isn't easy when you're a single parent. Parenting is a full-time job, regardless of your custody arrangement. When your kids are around, you devote a lot of your time to them.
Hardworking parents deserve to find love too. Luckily, there are a lot of single-parent dating sites out there that can help parents meet other wonderful singles. Online dating is the perfect way for single parents to squeeze meeting other singles into their busy schedules.
Here are some good places to get started.
eHarmony (Editors Choice)
eHarmony is one of the most successful dating sites out there. They have a long history of helping make love matches that last, so they're even a contender for best dating sites. The dating site attributes its success to the 32-dimension personality tests that get to users' deepest beliefs and desires. Among those that have found success on the site are thousands of single parents who know they don't want to waste time dating around.
Pros
eHarmony is invested in making quality matches. That means that while you're going to need some time to fill out your profile thoroughly. Over 2 million people have found love with eHarmony, and many among them were single parents taking their first steps back into the dating world through online dating.There are 10 million active users on eHarmony monthly, with a pretty even division between male and female users. That gives you a great user base to explore. When browsing singles, you can filter by age, location, and other metrics that may matter to you.
Cons
Some users have noted that eHarmony struggles to find matches in more rural areas. When there are matches, they can be up to 50 miles away, which isn't ideal for all.LGBTQ singles have found finding matches on eHarmony more difficult than on other dating sites. Some also feel wary about signing up for a premium membership because of the prices, although some of the couples whose success stories stem from the site will note the investment would only be made by serious singles looking for love.
Elite Singles
Elite Singles aims to match singles with a particular taste. As their name suggests, they're a dating site that's looking to match people who enjoy the finer things in life. They want to help educated singles with professional ambitions find someone who understands and matches their passion.
Over 80% of their users have, at minimum, one college degree. Many more have multiple high-level degrees and understand the hustle and bustle of life as a career person. The single parents that use this site are among the hardest working out there, and they could be fascinating figures to get to know.
Pros
Elite Singles has 2 million active monthly users who are looking for someone to love with as much enthusiasm as they put into their career and, for some, their life as a parent. A lot of single parents like the age demographics of Elite Singles as well. Their educated, professional user base is made up mostly of people over the age of 30, which is ideal for those who aren't looking to date down.
Single parents also love that while it's a thorough process to create a profile, it feels like it's geared toward making good connections between you and a potential partner. Elite Singles also has a mobile dating app available for its users, for iOS and Android. It's finely designed and easy for even novices to dating and tech to figure out.
Cons
Some of Elite Singles' best features require a premium membership. The good news there is that premium memberships are comparable with other sites at between $45-$60 per month, depending on your choice. Premium members are the only ones who can view all of a member's photos and answer their messages.
Silver Singles
Silver Singles is a great option for singles of a certain age who are shameless in their pursuit of true love. This dating site does everything it can to help singles over 50 make love connections that last.
Parenting is a job that's never done, and anyone who has adult children will tell you they still are very much a part of your life after they're grown. Meet family-minded eager singles who want to connect with you.
Pros
Silver Singles begins by asking for a time investment with their thorough questionnaire to learn more about you and what you're looking for. A lot of single parents like the site because it does one great thing to save users time. Silver Singles sends you your best matches each day, saving you time from browsing through users. If you are into the browsing aspect of things, you'll be happy to learn that Silver Singles has an extremely user-friendly interface, on both the website and mobile app.
Cons
Silver Singles doesn't have any features which highlight or set single parents apart from others, so it may be easier to connect with someone you're not quite on the same page with. Some users also aren't fans of the long process of signing up and creating a profile.
As others noted, profiles may not always be exactly reflective of the person, since you can get profile writing assistance for just $100. There's also the matter of profile pictures You cannot see users' profile pictures unless you've got a premium membership, which is one of the biggest factors in online dating. This turns some away from the dating site.
Plenty Of Fish
Plenty of Fish once had an iffy reputation, but times have changed this dating site. Today, they pride themselves in facilitating deep connections between singles with free and unlimited messaging between users.
Pros
Many singles love how big Plenty of Fish's user pool is. With over 90 million users, you can meet anyone from anywhere and make a connection. It's also hailed as one of the best free dating sites, as it has more free features than most.
One of the good things that Plenty of Fish users have reported is that they take reports of misconduct seriously. They are committed to keeping their users treating each other with respect. Single parents will appreciate the extra commitment to safety, which is often a big concern when getting into online dating.
Cons
Some users find that the free and unlimited messaging means that they get their fair share of unwelcome messages. While the Plenty of Fish team works hard to resolve everything, it would be a little more welcoming if there was a preventative layer there as well. If you're a person who values your peace, that could be a deal-breaker.
It's Just Lunch
It's Just Lunch has become a favorite dating service for single parents who are sick of dating around. IJL isn't your average dating site. It's more of a matchmaking setup that puts people on the same page on track for love.
When you sign up for the service, you sit for an interview with a member of their team that will serve as their matchmaker. They learn everything about you, what you're looking like, and what you've experienced in past relationships. They then do the work of finding potential pairings and coordinating dates, all with your approval every step of the way.
Pros
Constant discussions and feedback are happening in real-time when you use IJL. That means that you're learning about yourself while optimizing your matchmaker's ability to find the right person for you. Every date is an experience that brings you to closer to your perfect match. Matchmakers have a wealth of experience that will make all the difference in your experience.
If you're worried about your dating skills, they've also got you covered. Memberships include two free one-on-one dating coaching sessions. Busy single parents love having help with the workload of finding love that puts their time and their needs first.
Single parents who are particularly concerned with safety also love that IJL puts confidentiality first. Photos, last names, and other sensitive contact information are not given out to the people they connect you to.
Cons
IJL is currently only available to singles in select major cities. There's also the issue of price. The dating service is reportedly well-worth its price, but the price is up there. Terms and prices can vary, but on average, services cost between $2,000 and $4,000.
OurTime
Our Time is another dating site that prioritizes finding love for people over the age of 50. The site has 1.5 million users in the US alone, with nearly 200,000 active users a month. That kind of user base gives you a lot of great opportunities to find love for single parents. Our Time merged with Single People Meet in 2019, making it one of the best dating sites for seniors. Single parents are among the many kinds of people you can meet on this dating site.
Pros
Our Time has a user-friendly interface on both their website and dating app. With a basic membership, you can do a little bit of interacting with other members, including sending flirts and faves. Our Time also highlights your parental status in their profile, with the option to disclose how many kids you have and whether or not they live at home. This transparency is very popular with users and makes it a more likey field to include in profiles.
Another big win is that Our Time has been seeing some serious growth. They're averaging 20,000 new users a day, so the chance to meet a good fit is there, no matter how long you're using the dating site. It may mean a long journey for some, but it's certainly well worth it in the end.
Cons
Single parents can get the basics out of Our Time by signing up for free, but to get the most out of it, they'll need to spring for premium membership. Our Time members can only message one another as premium members. The membership ranges from $4.49 to $7.49 per week.
Single Parent Meet
Single Parent Meet is considered one of the best dating sites for single parents because it's one of few that caters to them specifically. Single Parent Meet wants to take some of the awkwardness of dating as a parent out of the equation by being upfront.
Pros
Single Parent Meet has a way of finding potential pairings that are different than other dating sites. They don't ask for too much personal information, but they have creative questions that help speak to who you are.
This is one of few dating sites that doesn't ask for much information up front. To create a profile, you need just an email address and password. From there, anything you fill in for your profile is voluntary. You can browse, flirt, and match with users with a free membership.
Single Parent Meet also has an easy-to-use mobile dating app that's available for Android and iOS users.
Cons
The smaller dating pool may be ideal for single parents who are just easing into online dating, but for the more experienced, it may feel limiting. Some people also feel that the lack of profile requirements means that connections could be formed on shaky foundations.
Like other dating sites, you can only message other users as a premium member, which is frustrating if you're looking for a minimal financial investment in your dating process.
Hope this guide and sites help make it easier for you to get back out there and find the love you’ve been looking for!
