Its not easy. His ex wife will come into play,(he may need to live close to her, or be permanently rooted in the same city, they will be in contact daily/weekly until the child is at least 19 years old) there will be times when dates are cancelled last minute, weekends get switched, or the child wants extended nights with daddy. His child will come first, then his career, his ex's previous commitments he still needs to honour, then himself then finally YOU.
Depending on the age of his child, they could love you or hate you. Best not to meet the child until you are at that level of a committed relationship with a permanent future.(children do not need to meet a parade of different partners, it is not healthy for them) Not fair to the child to get attached if you won't be around more than a few weeks or months. Sometimes being affectionate is either difficult or lacking when the child is around, His financial responsibilities is first to him, his chid, then his ex (again think support payments, spousal etc..). Money to date you may be limited. Should the relationship continue for years to come, think of the long term obligations he has. Do you want children?, will he want more? Are you ready to care for the child as your own-(don't say the child has a mother, because IF you have a life with this man, this child will be a huge part of yours. period.
Don't just think you are just going on a date with this guy, because the more you date him the more possibility it means you could enter his life and all that entails. By dating him , he is a package deal. Its all or none. But you have to think about the whole picture and what you are taking on. Are you ready for that? If not, don't waste his time or yours.

Its a lot date some one with a child, You will never be a priority, until the child is older.
Ask yourself, what you want from a relationship?, what you want now and in the future.

It can also be amazing.an instant family. a father is usually a thoughtful, loving caring man. He will (hopefully) be a good provider, he is gentle, he is fun, etc...

Only you know if your ready for that role.
Good luck.

one womans quote;
From xo jane;titled
Why I will probably never date a single dad again:

"to see him relish his role as a father, the joy that was evident when he was with his son made me yearn for the feeling of having in some way contributed to that happiness. To know that I was never going to be in any way responsible for “the best thing that ever happened to him” as he was fond of saying, made me angry at a woman I didn’t even know.
end of quote;

Maybe read some others just to get some idea.
knowledge/research/information to help you choose whether it is for you or not.

I completely agree with what "been there" had to say.

A single parent is under quite a bit of pressure to "do it all" and so give them space to take care of their child and job and ex-spouse issues.

It is best for the child for him/her not to meet you and please don't take offense to this. You're not a permanent part of their life and so until you make the commitment that you will be, keep your complete distance from the kid.

I am sorry to hear that you've never been on a date before. This is really sad. Please don't settle for these clowns who just want to shag you and leave you like a used tissue. You're acting like a free hooker in exchange for male company!

The single dad wants to take you out on a date and so you can experience something new in your life. The single dad has responsibilities that mightily surpass yours. His idea of a future relationship will be very different from your own, so if you continue to date him and as you go along, you need to take about what you both want out of life together.

Just take it easy and go slow. No need to rush. You will see the single dad's character for what it is. You've already seen the character of these one-nighter guys.

If you are young, single, no children-its too much work then NO
If you are older, you might have more patience and maturity-then Maybe
But the best choice would be a single mom for a single dad.

Single dads have a lot of guilt, so they go overboard in being the parent.
They over indulge and cater to their children every waking moment they are together.
Its very different dynamics compared to a married man with children-the role he plays in the family- and a single dad.
The children of single parents -in my opinion can sometimes think they are the "center of the universe", more attention seeking ,more demanding, more spoiled. less grounded and disciplined.

Dating is hard enough, when its one on one. Now try adding other people to the mix-child, ex,. These other people will continually have a say in every decision the two of you ever make. The final word will be theirs.
It can be exhausting.

So many other scenarios involved...Especially when the kids aren't even living here. It all depends. But i totally disagree with been there.

my friends have just ended up in relationships, too. Sometimes it starts when we meet up somewhere and we are both really into each other, so it's sorta unspoken. From that point on, we're in a relationship. Best to make sure though, it may seem you're in a relationship but he may be having fun with you and other women. If you're unsire, ask if he's having sex with someone else first.
Good luck with the kid thing...

Having a child does not define a character. Only those who have never wondered about reasons for people's actions will assume that this is somehow a defining factor in their psyche. personality is formed way before people have kids of their own. for those who say that you will never be number one - yes, you will never be number one for anybody, because for every single person in the world they themselves are the most important. it should be the same for you too, it is normal. and just the same way every single kid is different. get to know a person first, think of their child as a part of their life, not a part of what their personality is, or what they can do for you. and coming from experience (not bitter at all btw), just because a person has a kid doesn't mean he can't be either a player or a jackass.

He doesn't follow through on commitment. He is a single father for a reason. why is that?
if he is in his 20's- foolish choices maybe, lack of understanding what commitment means.
If he is in his 40's-did he not realize that his relationship was not solid before he brought a child into it? can and will he make better decisions in the future?