Best Four Dating Sites for Single Moms

So, if a single mother wants to date, what should she do? You’d already be dating potential partners at work if you had any, and as a Solo Mom, you can’t go to bars or ballroom dance parlors. “Join something,” your friends suggest. “Start a trekking group!” If you don’t have a child or a teenager with you, you won’t be able to travel anywhere. And, let’s face it, flirting with your child while he or she is throwing a tantrum is difficult.

Only one viable possibility remains: online dating.

Personals, as they were originally known, were published in your neighborhood hipster publication and were considered risqué and dangerous. Tinder, Match.com, PlentyOfFish, and a plethora of other strange names have all grown commonplace in recent years.

My advice is to take things slowly. Do your research, read reviews, and educate yourself before signing up for any fee-based dating site. Remember that “free dating services” are designed to collect money from you in some way, and that knowledge equals empowerment.

So, with the exception of one, I’ve combined them all to better explain, clarify, and save you time. (In reality, I’m exhausted.)

Below is a list of the top six most popular dating sites. Because everyone has their own favorite ice cream flavor, I didn’t state “best” website. Because I couldn’t reduce it to just five words, I chose the word “six.” I gave it everything I had.

Match.com

This is the most popular site with the most success stories. It is aimed for those who are serious about finding a spouse because it is a paid service.

The procedure. You fill out a lengthy questionnaire with basic lifestyle questions before writing a dissertation about who you are and what you are looking for in a partner. (Note that mine was only one paragraph long.) I’m a single mom with no time for essays.)

This is how it works. Age, distance, ethnicity, and a variety of other details fed to hungry algorithms are used to make matches.

eHarmony

eHarmony is a more conservative, fee-based site with a high success rate that targets those who are serious about finding a companion. In fact, the site may reject you as inappropriate for dating, and you’ll be confined to only messaging people with whom you’ve been matched.

The procedure. A long (over 400-item) personality questionnaire is required of users.

This is how it functions. Matches are made based on character, intelligence, and value compatibility, as evaluated by a magic technique.

Zoosk

What started as a simple Facebook app has grown into a global online dating service. It’s billed as “free” software, but it’s unique in that it keeps note of your preferences in order to forecast future offerings. Zoosk integrates with Facebook and other e-mail platforms. It calls itself a “social networking site,” but it’s basically a massive dating app.

The technique is as follows: The majority of users include their age, approximate location, profile name, and a photograph on their profile. Although completion of the actual profile is not needed, the more information you supply, the more detailed the search will be.

To locate mates, Zoosk uses its “behavioral matchmaking” technology, which learns from users’ actions. It was once free, but it has since become gamified, with “coins” being used to buy various items on the site.

OkCupid

OkCupid (OKC), Zoosk’s major competitor, has a user-friendly interface that is similar to Zoosk’s. The population of OKC is more diversified, with a focus on the younger generation and open-minded singles. It is, once again, a free site with paid enhancements accessible.

The procedure. You must complete a constantly changing, wide-ranging, and at times weird questionnaire. (Users submit questions, and OKC staff selects the best ones.) In a similar vein, you assess the significance of your potential spouse’s responses to questions. You might not mind if the guy smokes marijuana on a regular basis, but if he doesn’t wear Converse sneakers, forget it.

This is how it functions. The site uses this information to calculate your percentage of “match,” “friend,” or “enemy” status among other love seekers. The higher the “match” percentage, the more likely it is that you will find love.