Stir Releases Powerful New Research Exploring Dating For Single Parents

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Sep 12, 2023, 08:57 ET

Survey Insights Show Single Parents Are Seeking Spontaneity, 57% Are Embracing Their Sillier Sides, and 80% Report Holding Themselves to a Higher Dating Standard

DALLAS, Sept. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dating as a single parent means every second counts - on average, they know if they want a second date just 38 minutes into the first date, according to a new survey commissioned by Stir, the #1 dating app designed for single parents. Single parents account for nearly 11 million families in the U.S., but are a rarely studied group when it comes to their lifestyles. Stir has introduced brand new research* on the single parent demographic (that explores dating preferences, challenges and assumptions, and paints a picture of daters who know what they want - while having fun in the process.

80% of single parents hold themselves to a higher dating standard

57% of single parents embrace their silly sides more than before kids

Key research findings include:

Single Parents Are Prioritizing Fun: Stir is designed for singles with kids, whether they're looking for a casual relationship or something more serious, knowing that nothing comes before the kids (64% report being a parent as one of their biggest strengths!), but a lot of great things can happen after. Results revealed that more than half of single parents (57%) are embracing their silly side more than before they had kids - with women (58%) leading the charge over men (55%). Another 57% report that their favorite part about dating is simply… having fun! They're also more open-minded (49%), and confident (32%).
Setting The Bar High: Single parents want to have fun, but they don't have the time or patience to play games when it comes to dating. A whopping 80% of single parents believe that becoming a role model to their child means they hold themselves to higher standards than before they became a parent. Results also revealed some common misconceptions experienced by single parents, like they don't have the time or energy to dedicate to dating (34%), that their life must be very complicated (32%), and that they're looking for a co-parent over a romantic partner (32%). However, quite the opposite is true as respondents report having a clearer picture of what they want from a partner (48%), appreciate romantic moments more (34%), and are more willing to date outside their typical "type" (23%).
Every Moment Counts: A little more than half (51%) are less tolerant of drama since becoming parents and they know if they want a second date just 38 minutes into the first date. To know if there's a true connection, single parents wish topics like life goals (55%), dreams for the future (51%), pet peeves (33%) and sex or intimacy (26%) were brought up on dates more often.
Let's Get Physical: Timeframes for talking about sex and having it vary. Respondents believe the right time to start talking about boundaries, sexting or having sexual conversations is before you've met in person (14%) but 39% will start those conversations within the first three dates, and it takes single parents less than an hour (55 minutes) into a date to determine if they'd be interested in having sex with that person. Taking it a step further, 27% of respondents believe that they need to be in an exclusive relationship to be physically intimate, but for almost one-third (31%), the first, second and third dates aren't entirely off the table.

"It's important to note that single parents are people beyond their children and dating is not about looking for a co-parent or trying to squeeze it into a busy schedule due to societal norms. I look at single parents as an efficient cohort of daters who can be both mindful of their time and down for unscheduled fun," said Rachel DeAlto, Chief Dating Expert for Stir. "They're also looking for spontaneity, with 35% saying they're even more spontaneous after having kids than they were before. Single parents are dating for all the reasons that feel right to them, and on their terms - and frankly, that's a wonderful thing!"

*This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 single parents of children who are under 18 was conducted by market research company OnePoll on behalf of Stir between August 17 and August 23, 2023.

About Stir
Stir is the leading dating app for the 20M single parents in the US that are oftentimes underserved on mainstream dating apps. Stir encourages single parents to rediscover their spontaneous and flirty identities and connect with others who not only understand their life, but live it themselves. Stir is available on the iOS App Store and Google Play. For more information visit www.stir.com.

SOURCE Stir