Divorced parents have an interesting set of responsibilities when it comes to how they move along with the next chapter of their lives. Some want to get right back out into the dating world, while others do so with trepidation and months, if not years, of contemplation. If you are in the role of the divorced parent, then you should probably adhere more to the latter than the former. Here are some reasons why.
1. Your child may not be ready for you to date.
As you know, when you become a parent, you can no longer make decisions just for yourself. Your child’s happiness is an integral part of your own. Therefore, you should not even consider throwing up that online dating profile until you’ve seen how your child is processing the divorce. Getting started too soon can lead to resentment, acting out, and the stunting of your child’s emotional growth, especially if you decide to bring the other person around them too soon.
2. You may not be as ready as you think you are.
Yes, sometimes we convince ourselves that we’ve moved on from our ex long before we actually have. It’s a common mistake, and one you can’t take too lightly. There is a lot of growing that happens once the divorce papers are final. You won’t be the same person that you were. You’ll need to take time to get to know yourself before you can be a viable connection to someone else. It’s not fair to you or the other person to start back too soon into the dating world.
3. There is a danger you could end up with Ex 2.0.
When you are still close to the divorce, you are still looking at the people you choose to date through the same set of goggles that gave you that your ex-husband or ex-wife. Therefore, you run a serious risk of dating essentially the same person that you just divorced. That does not bode well for the future of your relationship.
While it can be difficult to wait when it comes to moving on with your life after a divorce, time is the best healer. Spend the time that you would be dating getting closer to your children and getting to know who you’ve become. It will pay much higher dividends in the future.