There are men who don’t believe they are ready to become a father.

He is figuring out who he is and where he wants to go in life.

Choosing to date a single mother requires he take on the responsibility of being a surrogate father, which he isn’t prepared to do.

Knowing this, he avoids dating a single mother, believing he isn’t prepared to take on this kind of role.

The role of being a father to a single mother’s child is a giant leap for him.

It is not quite the same thing as being a fun uncle to a little nephew or niece.

A fun day at the movies or a park with a little nephew or niece isn’t the same thing as playing the role of surrogate father to a single mother’s child over the long term.

Even if your ex, the father of your child, is actively involved in the child’s life, it doesn’t remove the responsibility a man who chooses to date you bears as a potential surrogate father to your child.

If you have custody of the child most times, he will be around your child more often than the child’s father.

This puts pressure on him to play the role of father even more than the child’s father has to.

Furthermore, men worry about any emotional issues that persist between you and the father of your child.

He is worried about being in the middle of this kind of tension between you and your ex.

A jealous or angry ex is a major impediment to a stable courtship with a single mother.

Fun date nights out could lead to tears, should you receive a mean text or phone call from your ex where he questions your mothering skills.

The next thing he knows, he is having to comfort you from your ex’s harsh words.

On top of this, in dating you, there is the fear of dates being constantly cancelled and rescheduled.

Your ex is often the catalyst of these.

A fun date is already planned and scheduled.

Your ex was supposed to show up and pick up the child.

He doesn’t.

He texts or calls you to tell you he is unable to pick up the child.

It is too short of a notice.

You can’t get a babysitter or family member to take charge of the child on such short notice.

All of a sudden, you have no choice but to cancel or reschedule the date.

Men are fully aware that a single mother usually has custody of her child most of the time, which often leads to canceled or rescheduled dates when no one else is available to babysit the child.

Finally, there are men who want to experience having their first child with a woman who doesn’t already have a child.

This makes it a first for both parties, which makes it special.

He prefers the idea of raising his own biological child with a first-time mother.

As a man, raising his own kin is a greater motivation to pair up with a woman than that of raising another man’s kin.