Ok, I'm 34 and a single father. Its been 2 years so a few months ago I decided to go out and try to meet someone, but I have been running into issues that I don't really understand. Now my ex and I had been together since Junior High, she was a year senior to me and we married just before my graduation. I was already living on my own, working and attending classes at the college through the running start program. So I actually have very little dating experience as she was only the 2nd person I had ever been with.

Issue #1: I have tried online dating as well going out in person, now on my online profiles I do mention that I am a single father but I also mention that there is no drama from their mother (She lives several hours away from us and has only seen them twice since our divorce), now the problem is I am getting allot of responses from women about how they will not date a single father. What has gotten me confused is I have even gotten this response from single moms. Now I have been told its because they don't want to deal with drama from the ex, which I can understand but it doesn't seem to matter that there is no drama from her and the divorce was caused by her no longer wanting to be a mom. I am also cant figure out why a single mom would have this stance, shouldn't a guy be worried about drama from the father of her kids? Seems to be a bit of a double standard.

Issue #2: I have also been told I am having a hard time meeting someone because of my main requirements, 1. No Smoking, 2. No marijuana, 3. no drugs of any kind. Unfortunately I have come to discover that a large portion of the population in my are does 1 or more of these. I don't think these requirements are to strict, I cant stomach the smell of tobacco so I do not hang out where people smoke. I do have friends that smoke, but its hard to hang with them when the smell is turning my stomach. Legal or not I am against smoking marijuana, if they need it for medical there are other forms in which they can use it, it is simply something I chose not to have near me or my kids. Also because of my work I cannot associate with it. I really don't think I'm being to strict with these requirements, or am I being unrealistic in todays society.

Issue #3: Not so much of an issue but still kind of odd to me. Being 34 I figure my age range for someone is about 27-40, give or take a year or two of we have allot in common. The problem I am having is that the majority of the woman that approach me are nearly old enough to be my mom, or was to young for me to even consider. I was actually approach by this gal that works at one of my favorite coffee shops, but she had just turned 20, that's only 10 years older than my eldest child. To me that just seemed wrong.

Thoughts, opinions?