Nobody ever said that dating was easy, but let's face it, being a single dad puts a whole different spin on your social life — bringing with it a different way of looking at things and new problems to overcome. What's it like to be a single dad in today's dating scene? Here's 5 confessions from 5 different guys who, while just scratching the surface, can give you a look into their world and the challenges they face.

When I first meet someone I make sure to immediately mention that I have a son. Not because he's all I have to talk about, but because I've found that a lot of women get completely turned off once they find out that I have a 3-year-old son who lives with me rather than with his mother. I guess it's because they feel that I have too much "baggage" and that they can never compete with him for my affection. So I try and get this out of the way quickly, and I've gotten pretty good at gauging the reaction in their eyes — which ranges from acceptance to finding a way to leave as quickly as possible (the rudest woman left a few minutes after I mentioned I had a child, she said she had to go to the ladies room, took her coat with her, and never came back). — Todd, 28

You haven't experienced guilt until you've walked out the door on a date, leaving your 5-year-old son behind crying, screaming and saying that you don't love him and he never wants you to come back. Maybe it has something to do with the divorce (which was extremely ugly) but that doesn't make it any easier. As you can imagine, this kind of response makes it very difficult to go out and have a good time. So rather than tell the truth I make up a lie like, "Daddy has to go to the office," which he doesn't get upset over. I hate lying to my son but for now I think it's best. — Sam, 31

My girlfriend was ok with my being divorced and having a teenage daughter. But when she told me she wanted to have kids of her own, I broke up with her. I guess I was being selfish, but the thought of going through all the baby stuff again was a bit scary, and I barely see my daughter as it is. Maybe it was the wrong thing to do but it felt right at the time.— Bill, 38

You know how guys talk about getting "lucky" on a date? Well it's not luck at all if it turns out that she wants me to go home with her. You see, my young daughter lives with me, so that means I have to go home at the end of the evening. It's not like I can call the baby-sitter and tell her to spend the night because I'm going to a sleep-over (and I won't bring someone home with me that my daughter hasn't met and gotten to know first). It's a fine line to walk between wanting to get intimate but not being able to go for it when the mood is right, and since most woman don't take kindly to a guy taking off right afterward, you pretty much kill things going that route. — Todd, 42

Being a single dad is great, but my child doesn't define who I am. I am entitled to have a social life that doesn't involve him, and it doesn't make me a bad person. What I've found that works is to make up a daily schedule that I can refer to as a guide. Being able to show to myself that I am a consistent part of his life on an ongoing basis reassures me and says that having some time just for me is okay too.— Dylan, 24

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