Romantic Relationships Benefit Single Parents and Their Kids

A new survey by eHarmony, conducted by Opinion Research Corp., finds that roughly half of single parents believe they (51 percent) and their kids (47 percent) are better off emotionally when the parent is in a committed relationship. Yet, more than two in five parents who acknowledge the emotional benefits of being in a relationship are not even dating.

"Single parents often get caught up in the daily stresses of earning a living and raising kids, which makes it harder to focus on themselves and their own longer-term well-being," said eHarmony's relationship expert and senior research scientist, Dr. Gian Gonzaga. "Kids certainly factor into a parent's romantic decisions, but they're not the only force that parents consider when seeking a new romance."

The eHarmony survey asked single parents who are not currently dating about their motivations for dating again:

• 87 percent said to have fun
• 80 percent said for companionship 
• 61 percent said to have a mother or father figure in their child's life 
• 60 percent said to share parenting duties 
• 37 percent said to appease their kids

While not a primary motivation for dating again, children are also not considered a major inhibitor, the study found. Single parents were asked about the dating and relationship challenges they face. Some of the challenges they reported included:

• Finding the time to date (74 percent)
• Getting back into the dating world (69 percent) 
• Finding the money to date (42 percent) 
• Finding a babysitter so they can go on dates (37 percent) 
• Telling a new love interest that they have a child (22 percent)

"What many single parents may not realize is that they are in a much better position now to have a great shot at finding a second chance at love," Gonzaga said. He noted that single parents often have the advantages of greater self-awareness and more-focused priorities.

"People who are coming back to dating often have few outlets to find a new romance. But online dating has given people an easy and safe place to find prospective partners. eHarmony gets to know each member's values, attitudes, personality traits and interests, and then matches singles based on those criteria," Gonzaga said.