7 Damn Good Reasons To Date A Single Mom

If you’ve won the love of a single mom, you’ve hit the relationship jackpot. Few love as selflessly and fiercely as a woman who’s raised her kiddos on her own (or mostly on her own).

Need more convincing? We recently asked a handful of divorced moms to give their best elevator pitch for dating single mamas.

Read some of our favorite reasons below.

1. She can roll with the punches.
Any single mom you date likely has a lot on her plate — and much of it comes her way unexpectedly. (The kids get the flu right before a work trip? Par for the course.) What that means for you is that she’ll understand if you’re running late for a dinner date because of a deadline at work. As single mom Kasey Ferris explains, she’s probably dealt with far worse.

“Have you ever taken a kiddo to the mall and had them spill an entire Slurpee all over themselves then pitch a major earth-shattering meltdown with four people ahead of you in line at the register? We have,” she jokes. “We take it in stride -– what’s the other option? Some things are just out of your control. Failed dinner plans are nothing to us.”

2. She’s well rounded.

If you want a woman who gets things done, look no further than a single mom, says writer Jennifer Ball.

“We do everything, and I mean everything,” she says. “We bring home the bacon, we fry it up in the pan, we clean the pan…hell, we bought the pan. We parent with enthusiasm, we work hard at whatever our jobs are, we are tender caretakers and tough decision makers.”

Sound like the kind of badass, complex woman you want to ride alongside for life? We thought so.

3. She’s independent.
While other people you date might get clingy and annoyed by your few-and-far-between texts, a single mom ain’t got time for that. She’s got a world of her own and kiddos to worry about. If you say you need some space or time to yourself, she’ll respect it.

“We’re used to being on our own and aren’t afraid of it,” says single mom Dina Strada. “When you’re balancing work, kids and a social life, you value your alone time as a single mom and are pretty damn independent because you have to be. You can rest assured I’m going to continue to have my own life and will be perfectly OK with you having yours.”

4. She loves like no other.

Any single parent will tell you: Raising a kid on your own is the ultimate primer on how to love unconditionally. If you are all your kid has in the world, you learn to love that much harder. That kind of selfless, unconditional love has also made her a better partner.

“We offer a bigger well of caring and love than you can fathom,” says Ferris. “Our patience, love, and capability for nurturing has so more depth because of our kids. If you’re good to us, you’ll have a more faithful, supportive and loving life partner than you’ve ever had.”

5. Single moms are sexy.
She may lean heavily on the no-nonsense mom uniform when she’s with the kids — jeans, t-shirts, a ponytail, yoga pants, or any combination thereof — but if you ask her out on a date, she’ll likely relish the chance to get all dolled up.

“From firsthand experience, I can tell you that we can’t wait to dress up and feel sexy,” said Strada. “Since we have little ones hanging on us all the time and have to constantly be in responsible mommy mode, dates are an opportunity to let our hair down and let loose.”

6. She knows what she wants.
A single mom with a divorce behind her has probably done some soul searching to figure out went wrong in her marriage– including the part she played in its breakdown. She’s been burned before but she’s come out with a stronger sense of what she really needs in a relationship and partner.

“You start to realize what you need to truly be happy,” says Strada. “If we are spending time with you and opening ourselves up to getting hurt again, we see something special in you that makes taking that risk worth it. That should give you a lot of confidence that you have something special to offer or we wouldn’t be wasting our time!”

7. She’s playing for keeps.

Single moms are particular about who they let into their life for good reason. They’ve got kids to worry about so they’re not just going to let any Tom, Dick or Harry from Tinder walk through the door. If she’s chosen you, you must be pretty special, says Ball.

“Know that once you’re in, you’ve reached a level of acceptance not very many people, especially men, achieve,” she says. “The way we love is the way we have learned to live our lives as single moms: fiercely, sweetly and smartly. Now, if you’re a funny fabulous single dad and you don’t mind teenagers and dog hair, contact me.”