Contrary to popular belief, single parents with young kids aren't too busy for date nights—or sex, for that matter. In fact, they report more sexual frequency and more first dates than single parents of older children, according to a new study published in the Journal of Sex Research.
This research from the Kinsey Institute is the largest and most thorough study of its kind. The researchers wanted to see if single parents that have a highly dependable child (five years old or younger) express a reduced effort at dating and mating.
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The study surveyed 5,805 single adults (2,859 women and 2,975 men) ages 21 and older in 2012. They found that having a young child five years old or younger did not significantly affect their dating or sexual behavior (like their frequency of sexual thoughts, number of sexual partners in the last year, and tendency to actively seek out a partner) when compared to single adults without children.
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Surprisingly, they found that single parents with very young children (aged two years and younger) reported a higher frequency of sexual activity and more first dates in the past three months than single parents with older children (aged six years and older.) They also found that single mothers of very young children (aged two years or younger) reported even more dates than single fathers with very young children. And when compared to single nonparents, there were little to no differences in frequency of sexual activity and desire.
So why do single parents with young kids have a more active love life than those with older kids? It might be that they're more motivated to find a partner at this stage of their life, says lead study author Peter B. Gray, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Or it could just be that some parents find it a little easier to go out on dates when their kids are younger, before they have tons of after-school commitments.
Regardless, it's encouraging to see that the sex and dating lives of single parents as a whole did not differ significantly from single childless adults. Check out some ways having a baby can influence your sex life.
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