Going Mamma Bear on my dating self.

My kids are my life.  As a couple of my friends have reminded me, this is new since the divorce.  Don't get me wrong, I've always loved my children.  It's just that in the last three years I've truly begun to get to know them.  I'm not stressed (well, not as stressed).  I hardly yell.  I let things go. I've turned into a total Mamma Bear.  I am, as these friends say, a better mom now than I was when I was married.

But, to be honest, I've also used my kiddos as a shield to help prevent me into getting involved in anything real.  They're an incredible excuse to have when you're on a date.  I don't know how single women without kids escape from bad date situations.  Saying you have to pick them up from the ex/sitter/friend's is such a quick and easy way to ditch a situation.  And who's going to call you out on that?

But, here's the other things I do, as a hyper sensitive single mom, when dating, which maybe aren't exclusive to single moms at all, but just smart things for single women to do:

I don't let the guy know the ages or genders of my kids on a first or second date.  I'm deathly afraid of some guy trolling these dating sites looking for a mom of a young boy/girl in their target age. 

My address is very protected.  With the exception of Mr. Bellyflop and The Happy Meal Toy very few of the men that I've dated know my address.  I suppose they could look it up.  That is if they knew my last name. 

My last name.  I don't often tell it. It rarely comes up.  Guys think that I've told them, and then feel stupid about asking. I have a specific email address that's just for my blind dating that doesn't have this information.  Here's the deal.  The moment I know your last name I'm Googling you.  (Reminds me of one of the best Amanda Palmer song as of late.....).  Because I do this, I assume others do this as well.  My last name changed and my ex-name is much more hit upon than the new one, so there's a buffer. 

I take photos of or write down license plate numbers.  I forward dating profiles to friends before I go out.  I arrive early and look for parking close to the meeting place.  I have a rather unique vehicle, so it's difficult for me to avoid them remembering that I'm in an Orange Honda Element, but still.  Now granted, I'm taking a risk every time I go on one of these dates and if they were of the psychotic persuasion, I guess I'm basically screwed, but for the most part I haven't had any issues. 

 Oh, and I definitely don't let them know about this blog.