Deal - Dating and the Single Parent: * Are You Ready to Date?* Talking With the Kids * Avoiding a Big Mistake* Finding Lasting Love

2012 by Ron L. Deal

Published by Bethany House Publishers

11400 Hampshire Avenue South

Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

www.bethanyhouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of

Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Ebook edition created 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-7101-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations identified ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007

The Internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.

Cover design by Eric Walljasper

Author is represented by MacGregor Literary, Inc.

This book will help you see beyond the tingly feelings to determine if a dating partner will help you form a healthy family.

from the foreword by Dr. Dennis Rainey, President, FamilyLife

You want the best for your little cubs. You also want to share your life with someone. Can you do both? You can trust Ron Deal to shoot straight with you about kids, dating, and finding lasting love. Find the answers you need in this book.

Dr. Kevin Leman

New York Times bestselling author of Have a New Kid by Friday

Entering the dating arena as a single parent is scary. Dont do it alone. In Dating and the Single Parent , Ron Deal points out the common pitfalls and gives wise counsel in how to navigate the waters. I highly recommend it.

Gary Chapman, PhD

Bestselling author, The Five Love Languages

Your choice is to get real or to get blindsided. In the crackling electricity of a dating relationship, its easy for single parents to overlook huge issues that cause deep personal pain as well as permanent damage to their children. Ron Deal shows you how to avoid the big mistakes and build successful, lasting relationships. Dating and the Single Parent is a must-read for all solo parents .

Steve Grissom

Founder, DivorceCare and Single & Parenting

I wish Id had a resource like Dating and the Single Parent during my twelve years of single parenthood. Great stuff! Ron Deal helps you avoid common pitfalls and gives you a usable road map to experiencing healthy relationship in the future. He also offers great counsel on guarding the hearts of your kids. If you only read one single-parenting book this year, make it this one!

Elsa Kok Colopy, author, speaker, and former editor of the Single-Parent Family edition of Focus on the Family magazine

Once again Ron Deal has written a powerful book, a much-needed resource, to help those who may be considering remarriage one day. Rons authentic and frank narrative and advice are a must-read for single parents. From the beginning, Ron points out that coupleness does not equal familyness, and this and many other of his valuable insights can help ensure you have healthy and successful relationships.

Paula Bisacre, Publisher, www.RemarriageWorks.com