How do you find time to date as a single parent? I am dating someone, almost a year in but it has been very challenging and here is why:

Our dates are often last minute because i have an unreliable ex. He doesnt keep to the schedule, so when this happens during the week I cancel our date because I have to available to my son for bedtime routine.

When we do plan a date and my son doesnt get picked up, I rely on my mom to watch my son, BUT again I need to be home for bedtime. This is the case on weekends, not weekdays.

Why do I need to be home? Because neither my mom nor my sister are willing to out my son to sleep because he cries for me. They are only willing to watch him to a certain extent. I have left him with his paternal grandma, but honestly I rather not because I just dont fully trust that they care well for my son. And they lack education/manners with how to approach a child.

The person I am dating is 9 years older than I am. He is 39 and I am 30. When my mom offers to watch my son, he rather just cancel our date because he says he is an almost 40 year old adult and does not need a curfew. He also says I am not willing to leave my son over night. He says this because August of last year i left for a week on vacation. During that week my son spent it with his dad in its entirety so I was not worried about his care. Now I have left my son over night with his paternal grandma, its just not often.

I just dont know what else to do or how to go about this situation. I love this man and I want to marry him, but I just keep feeling shut down because he says I am not willing and everything I say is an excuse to him, simply because i went on vacation.

I went through ppd and struggle sometimes with feeling like a good mother to my son. I am trying to maintain balance. I want this person to know i love him and care for him and want him, but I dont think anything i do matters to him.

Any advice or tips?