My Children Are Dating Gurus

This morning as I was in the middle of my morning walk, I had an AHA moment! Single moms reentering the dating scene have an advantage over women without kids. Unfortunately it seems that many of us are overlooking our most valuable resource, our children. That’s right. Our children’s dating skills are being woefully underutilized because we are so busy consulting friends, fashion magazines, blogs, YouTube channels etc.

The honesty bestowed upon me by these beings that I was gracious enough to carry around with me for nine months as they prepared for entry into the world is brutal. BRUTAL! And, I am willing to bet your little munchkins exhibit the same knack for brutal honesty that mine do. Such brutal honesty is the only thing you need as you prepare to date again. Nothing more.

My girls have super powers when it comes to identifying every “flaw” that exists on my body. They are able to focus, with laser sharp precision, on that lone, long hair protruding from my arm that I consistently ignore because its presence just doesn’t seem to be earth shattering to me. Until my girls get involved that is. Once they zoom in on it, they stare at me mortified because I refuse to immediately rip the hair from my arm at that very moment (driving down the road).

They scream in horror, completely freaking me out, at the bump surfacing on my back. And wonder if I am delusional when I point out that it is ON MY BACK, not in the MIDDLE OF MY FOREHEAD.

Their hyperawareness about dear old mom’s flaws make me meticulously examine every inch of my body if I even remotely consider going out with a member of the opposite sex.

Unlike my friends who try to find the right words to tell me I look like a damn fool, my kids, without any hesitation, let the words flow from their mouth as they look on horrified, wondering how I could possibly believe my outfit would remotely be deemed cute by any member of the male species. It is my children that point out, as they examine every inch of my face, that my eyebrows are starting to look a little unkempt (although they don’t use such nice terms). God forbid I rock my mommy ponytail one day too many, or, go for extended periods of time without making it to the nail salon. Such behavior leads to a roundtable discussion on the importance of a woman my age properly caring for herself. When I point out, quite eloquently I must add, that I am a single, working mother juggling quite a bit to provide for my family, without sympathy they respond, “we all make time for what’s important”.

Oh how I love my munchkins so! Always keeping it real. Always there to offer a helping hand. Always there to make sure their mommy does not embarrass them when she steps out into the world! I don’t know about you, but I am going to embrace these underutilized resources.

Much love,

Tonza