After having a child, your whole approach to dating can change. Firstly, it’s difficult enough to find the time for a love life amongst all of the new demands on your time. Secondly, children can be a great confidence-killer – being a parent doesn’t exactly make you feel attractive, especially for women experiencing the physical changes. Thirdly, you may start to feel that you can only date other parents who are sympathetic to yourcircumstances.

All of these elements can lead you to lower your expectations from dating, leading you to rush into things and settle for people who aren’t necessarily right for you. This really shouldn’t be the case – everyone should have a shot at finding love, single parent or not. Here are a few steps to take to get you closer to your soul mate…

Use the right tools:

Dating in the conventional way – by chance – is not an option as a single parent. You simply don’t have the time to sit around in bars being admired. Instead, you need to be proactive and use the right tools to get you what you want: let yourself be set-up with people, go speed dating. Also, think about using online dating sites. These allow you to browse through hundreds of potential matches and specify what you’re looking for – there are Christian dating sites, relationship sites – you name it, you’ll find it. These are massively time saving and hugely successful tools so get online!

Look in the right places:

If you never leave the house without your toddler in tow, it’s about time you hired a reliable babysitter. If you only hang out in parent-related places then the only people you’re likely to meet are other single parents. And they might not necessarily be right for you! Instead, start spending your time in the places you love doing the things you love. This way you’ll meet someone who has a commonality with your true personality, not just with your label as a parent.

Build the right image:

Spend a bit of time on your appearance before you start to date again. Assess your clothes, your make-up and how you hold yourself. Have they changed beyond recognition since you had kids? Try to work a bit of yourself back into your look, giving it that big bite of personality that will make you irresistible to the right person.

Take the right approach:

When you meet someone new, don’t jump in immediately with the parent angle. Parents have a habit of talking mainly about their children. You should definitely inform your date you have a child, but don’t start discussing the troubles they’ve been having with their maths homework. Instead, talk about you, what you like, your job – make it personal because that’s what they’ll fall in love with.

Don’t just settle for someone convenient. Whether it’s by using free dating sites or getting a makeover, you can find love as a single parent.

A Pea in the Pod released today the first official details of its partnership with Nicole Richie. A Pea in the Pod, the brand moms-to-be consistently rely on for stylish maternity clothes, worked closely with Nicole Richie to create a free-spirited designer line.

The 14-piece capsule collection captures Nicole Richie’s signature bohemian look with key items such as the peasant top, caftan, cascade cardigan, patio dress, and maxi skirt. Signature details like asymmetric hems, braid trim and smocking are important elements in this free-spirited collection.

Tissue knits and silk are available at prices that range from a $48 tank top to a $148 maxi dress. Items will be available at all A Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity locations and online at www.apeainthepod.com and www.destinationmaternity.com beginning August 7, 2009.

“I’m excited to join A Pea in the Pod in creating my capsule collection,” said Nicole Richie. “I hope that the ease and comfort of my designs will help expectant moms to look and feel amazing throughout their pregnancy.”

I confess, I am just not one of those concerned citizens who goes out of my way to save the earth or whatever.  I’m mostly just trying to take care of immediate things like day-to-day living.  When it comes to eco-friendly, if it’s easy, I’ll do it, and if it’s inconvenient, I just won’t. 

This is why it’s really good to have a site like Green Planet Parties around.  For a decent price–certainly no more than you’d pay buying all these elements separately–you can get cloth goodie bags and banners, biodegradable corn-based plastic cutlery, and even all-natural nail polish for girls’ parties. 

They offer complete eco-friendly party kits for all kinds of gatherings.  You can get fully supplied for kids’ birthday parties, baby showers, weddings, and other celebrations.  You can also just get different items separetely, including hair things and jewelry, books, sketchbooks, totebags, dishware, tablecloths, wrapping paper, and dozens of other things. 

As I browsed through the site, I was impressed several times by how reasonable the prices were.  Not everything was cheap, but nothing was any more expensive than you’d find in a local retail store, and some things were considerably less. 

So, since it’s not more expensive, and it’s actually easier to buy things on line than to go to the store, even lazy people like me can probably manage to do their part.  Green Planet Parties can help with that.