If you are a single parent looking for a soul mate or looking to get married, don't let anyone tell you that you have to compromise and marry the first person that proposes.

Single parenting can be hard, and what makes it harder still is that it is not easy for a person with children to find a match, especially in India.

We Indians often take deep pride in our culture, believing that we are a very warm and loving people. How then do you explain the stigma that attaches itself to a divorced person or to a widowNULL Divorcees have a much harder time finding a match than non-divorcees, and they often end up marrying other divorced people. Thankfully this stigma is slowly reducing, but it still exists. What is still very difficult though, is to find a partner if you have children of your own.

If you are a single parent looking for a soul mate or looking to get married, don't let anyone tell you that you have to compromise and marry the first person that proposes. If you are not interested in spending your life with a certain person, don't push yourself or you will only end up regretting your decision. Instead, take matters in your hands.

Get independent

If you are not financially independent and are looking out for a husband who will also be a provider for you and for your child or children, you may need to look harder than if you were independent and financially secure. So, before giving your entire attention to finding another partner, concentrate on setting yourself up financially. All you really need is focus and dedication. If you already have a job, are you earning enough to support yourself and your childNULL If not, you need to upgrade your skills. Ask your boss what you can do to increase your chances of getting a promotion or a raise. Is there a particular course she recommendsNULL If you haven't worked before, try and find out where your interests, skills and talents lie. You may want to take up a course in that area, and start work side by side, so by the time you graduate you will have some work experience too. Once again, your first goal when you are a single parent should be to make yourself financially independent.

Once you are on your own feet and can afford a home of your own, where you live with your children, and your children are settled in schools, you can be open to entering new relationships. The advantage of being in a good job, or working in a large, established company, is that you can then find someone through work itself.

Opt for a job that requires interaction

To increase chances of meeting someone likeminded, opt for a job profile that requires you to go out there and interact, such as sales, marketing, public relations etc. You could even try working at the reception desk at a five-star hotel, although the timings may not be suitable, especially if you need to work late hours and have children at home. So, 9-5 office jobs may be your best bet. A great alternative would be call-centers, which pay well, and offer a cheery work atmosphere.

Join classes

Join a group activity such as kickboxing classes at the gym. Remember, just joining the gym may not really increase your social life a whole lot, because often people just come, work out and leave, but if you join something like a yoga or kickboxing class at the gym, chances are that you will get to socialize more, and thus meet more people.

Read the classifieds

Consider going through the classified ads in the newspaper, or on matrimonial websites. You may need to sift through a lot of unsuitable people, but in time and with effort, you may find someone perfect.