Unmarried Dad Says He Won’t Date Single Moms Who Get Child Support — ‘I Treat Others The Way I Want To Be Treated’
He claimed that he doesn't want to date single moms who "abuse" the child support they receive from their ex.
Motortion Films | Shutterstock Dating as a single parent can be tricky waters to navigate, often more so for single moms who — as usual — tend to receive the most flack and criticism.
Content creator and dad Ryan Powell seemingly added to that conversation after admitting the reason why he's apprehensive about dating single mothers.
He claimed that he won't date single moms who receive child support.
"My number one deal breaker with dating a woman is if she collects child support," Powell declared.
He recalled dating a single mother who received child support from her ex and claimed that during an outing, she handed him her "child support card," and told him to use it to fill up the car with gas. Afterward, they went to the grocery store and she supposedly instructed him to use the card to get beers, wine, and food for dinner.
Although Powell didn't expand on what exactly he meant by "child support card," he may have been referring to an electronic payment card, which works and looks like a prepaid debit card and into which child support money is sometimes deposited. The way that child support money is distributed varies from state to state and may also be received via check or direct deposit.
Powell continued, saying that after that date, he started viewing child support differently, despite acknowledging that "not all women" abuse the system.
The unmarried dad revealed that his opinion also applies to his own journey with custody and child support between him and his ex.
He claimed that his ex "doesn't necessarily need my child support" and is "doing just fine without me giving her money because she can provide more to my daughter than I can." He also accused her of lying about how much money she makes.
Yet, as one commenter pointed out, "It’s not just the mother’s responsibility to care for that child. The fathers need to step up and financially support too."
Andrei Porzhezhinskii | Shutterstock
Powell said that thinking about the child support dynamic between men and women made him question why he would ever want to date someone who is collecting child support.
He added that he wouldn't be comfortable with his ex using the child support money that he gives her on someone else, especially someone she's dating.
It's presumptuous that he would assume the single mother he dated spent all of her child support money on herself and not her child/children. He doesn't know the dynamic that she has with her ex, their child support agreement, or the details of her spending.
Powell also complained that he doesn't find it amusing or enjoyable to date single women who constantly complain about their exes and custody arrangement issues.
"I'm gonna take every analysis and take his side," Powell declared. "The relationship probably isn't gonna work in the first place because I'm probably not gonna side with her. I just can't deal with the drama."
If he doesn't want to be involved in child support disputes or get caught in the middle between two single parents trying to make co-parenting work, that's his prerogative. However, the fact that he is siding with a theoretical ex over his hypothetical date is more telling about him than any single mother.
To assume that most, if not all, single moms are abusing the system is unfair and inaccurate.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.