Match Group has announced that it is launching the latest addition to its dating services lineup with Stir, an app designed exclusively for single parents. With the new release, the company aims to address the 20 million single parents in the U.S. who are under-served by existing dating apps, the company says.
Stir’s key feature will be a scheduling option called “Stir Time,” which allows parents to overcome the often difficult aspect of coordinating time to date between two different people’s schedules which may have to take into account co-parenting arrangements, children’s activities and other parenting-related commitments.
The dating app maker said one in four single parents (27%) reported that coordinating schedules is something that keeps them from being able to go on dates, which is why it introduced Stir Time.
With the in-app feature, users can optionally indicate which days of the week and times of day they tend to be free, in general terms, like “morning,” “afternoon” and “night.” That way, parents who may only have a few open slots per week of so-called “free time” can get matched with others who have similar schedules.
Dinh Thi Bui, VP of New Verticals at Match Group, said: “Having kids shouldn’t be a deal-breaker when dating. We’re dedicated to giving single parents a dating experience where they are celebrated and feel like they can be themselves. With that, our hope is that they can truly focus on having a personal life beyond navigating parenthood.”
Match Group also conducted research from the target demographic of Stir. New data from 1,494 Stir members reveals what single parents are really looking for when seeking a dating partner and the challenges that they face dating with kids. Key insights include:
- Dealbreakers and Top Qualities in a Partner: When asked what their top dealbreakers were, single parents ranked the following last: Zodiac sign (3%), openness to being a step-parent (7%), differing parenting styles (13%), and a non-existent digital footprint (13%), highlighting that single parents aren’t looking for a partner to help raise their children. Instead, the top qualities they value include financial stability (64%), followed by emotional maturity (52%).
- First Date Impressions: On a first date, single parents are looking for laughter more than anything (49%), prioritizing humor and playfulness in a partner. Behind laughter, single parents rank meaningful conversations (38%) and a date without awkward silences (34%) as successful first date indicators.
- Single Parent Stigma: Despite the stigma around being a single parent, most (90%) aren’t hiding the fact that they have kids on their dating profile. However, more than half of single parents (54%) have been ‘ghosted’ after a first date, and one in five (20%) of single parents have been ‘ghosted’ after someone learned they had kids.
- Finding Time to Date: The majority of single parents (37%) spend 1-2 hours a week dating, and over a third of single parents (34%) spend 3+ hours or more each week. When asked what they would spend time on if they could free up an extra two hours during their week, one of their top choices was dating (45%), along with exercise (53%) and self-care (53%).
- Meet the Kids: Three out of five single parents (61%) will wait up to three months before introducing a new partner to their kids. 28% said they would wait up to one year and only 16% said they would introduce them within the first 30 days.