I just went out with a guy last night I'll call "Mr. Wonderful". He's tall (which I love because it makes me feel dainty), handsome, successful, the protector/nurturer type (e.g., walking me to my car, opening doors, paying for the date even though I was ready to pay, etc...), responsible (i.e., calling to confirm the date a few days in advance and on the day of the dates), athletic, good dresser, intelligent (i.e., makes me feel like there are things he can teach me, which I also am attracted to, because I want to respect and admire the man that I am with), and divorced with one son that is about the same age as my son.

If you have read my other recent thread about players, you know that I am also dating a guy I call "Mr. Too-Good-To-Be True". Mr. Too-Good-To-Be-True is tall, handsome, athletic, attentive, and successful. He has also never been married and has no children.

If I were to compare the two men right now, I would give Mr. Wonderful bonus points for having a son for the following reasons:

(1) This means that if we eventually get married, we have the option of either not having any more children (because we each already have one or more and the biological clock is not ticking for either one of us) or creating our own love child later on. I like options. It relieves pressure/stress on the relationship;

(2) If we choose not to have any more children, this means that I will be able to focus on pleasing him/nurturing my relationship with him, developing my career, and having fun with our school age children who are starting to have their own friends/interests, and this also means that we are already over the stressful baby making stage of the marriage (i.e., diaper changing, midnight feedings, etc.);

(3) If he is divorced, and the other parent is in the picture, this means that he and I can travel alone together and have free babysitting. This is like having your cake (i.e., having children), and eating it too (i.e., being able to travel like a couple with no children); and

(4) Since he is already a father, I can see before I have children with him what kind of father he is.

I would suspect other people would want to date a single mother for some of the same reasons.