New data has revealed that while 63% of single parents think they’ll 'never find love again' after a breakup, most do - and in a relatively short amount of time too.
Being a single parent can be extremely difficult. As well as handling the practicalities of co-parenting, you also often have to deal with being single-shamed as a parent - and that's not even mentioning the struggles of parental loneliness.
But one of the biggest worries for single parents is handling the fear that they'll never find love again. According to heartbreaking new data, 63% of single parents believe that they will 'never find love again' after splitting from their children's mum or dad.
The reasons for this lack of belief are completely understandable. Just under two thirds said they had 'lost confidence' in themselves, which stopped them from putting themselves out there, while 53% feared another heartbreak.
In addition, 40% were concerned that their child might not accept the idea of a new person in their life, while others said they simply don't have the energy or time to meet and date new people.
However, the data is also full of hope. Of the 600 single parents surveyed, 64% said they had found a new partner, with the majority doing so around 13 months after their breakup.
So how did they do it? Nearly a third said they leaned on family and friends for support, both childcare-wise to free up time for dates and for emotional support too. Another 26% said it took realising their own worth to get back on the dating scene. And 14% even said their children had helped them find new dates, with them being super supportive in their quest to find love again.
The study was conducted by Even, a dating app made specially for single parents, with the app collaborating with ITV's dating show My Mum, Your Dad to speak with single parents.
A former participant on the popular show, Janey Smith, shared her experience of finding love after heartbreak, saying, "After a couple of break ups and heartbreak, I thought that was it for me. I'd pretty much given up hope that I would never find love or trust again - my confidence was at an all-time low, and I convinced myself that I didn't have the time to date.
"But after my son gave me a much-needed pep-talk, I was able to find the courage to get back into the dating world and created an online dating profile which gave me the confidence to apply for the show. That's when I met Roger, and, as they say, the rest is history."
In other relationship news, we explore the ‘gray divorcing’ phenomenon and explain why couples are doing it. And, a marriage therapist reveals the 5 ‘beige flags’ you should never ignore in a relationship. Plus, it takes more than 'things in common' for your marriage to survive, say scientists who identify the one sign to predict marital bliss.
