Online Dating For Parents - Four Safety Tips

Dating for parents is quite different from when you dated as a single person with no children. The main obstacle for most parents is the lack of time to meet other singles. Fortunately, more and more parents are finding out that the internet is helping to resolve the time issue.

When the internet was new, only a small percentage of people were using it to do their banking and shopping. The same thing could be said for dating online. Now, more people are using their computers for everything, including dating. It is a perfectly acceptable way to meet new people this way.

Whether you are dating offline or online, you should always use your common sense in order to reduce the risk of danger to yourself or your children. In what follows, are tips for online dating, but some of them can also be applied to dating in person as well.

Here are four specific tips for online dating for parents:

Never post personal identifying information online such as your full name, address, or phone number. Exchange cell phone numbers instead, but only do this later on in the relationship. Make sure that the email address that you use is a free email that you create through Gmail or Hotmail, for example. When you create that email address, do not use your real name either.

When posting pictures of yourself, never include photos of your children. Do not discuss information about your children's names, ages, schools they attend, and so on. You want to ensure that you are not exposing your child to potential child predators. As well, never introduce your child to your dates at the start.

If you do not feel comfortable with someone through your email and phone communication, do not meet that person. Listen to your gut. When you are ready to meet someone however, meet that person in a safe setting such as a coffee shop where other people are located. Never meet that person at your home or his/her home.

Consider having a background check done on the person. There are some good people in the online dating world, but there are some bad characters too. Online dating sites do not typically do background checks on their members, so it is your responsibility to be vigilant.

In summary, it is wise to follow these tips when dating online. Doing so will keep you and your children safe, while opening up the dating world to you.