A few years ago when I was still in the dating pool, kids were a no-no. If a guy had kids, I wasn't interested.

Turns out that was retarded.

Because then I met my husband who had an eight year old son from his previous marriage. Suddenly, it didn't matter so much.

Sometimes you just have to give people a chance. You don't know what you might miss.

It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, but I would want to be serious about the guy before meeting his kids and even then I'd be really cautious. I've watched my best friend see her ex's daughter less and less after helping raise her for several years. She has no legal rights and it has been heartbreaking for her.

Yes!  In fact, I was actually thinking about seeking out men with children.  I don't want children of my own, but it seems like it would be a lonely life completely without them.  Step-children seemed like the perfect solution.  

I second what Monique said.  When my ex-girlfriend and I got serious, I made a commitment to myself that I'd stay in her sons lives regardless of how she and I worked out, and they've chosen not to continue the relationship with me after the break up.  It is indeed heartbreaking to me because I love them very much.  You have to be very, very careful when children are involved, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't date someone with kids if the other things -- values, goals, interests -- are present.

My current partner (and hopefully long-term and one-and only forever one) has a 3 year-old son that he's just moved away from home to be near. The balance between daddy-hood and person-hood has been extremely difficult, but I am hopeful, (after a recent conversation where he talked about the challenges and recognized that he needed to be a person, too, not just a dad) that he will find a way to be happy with his choices in both roles and not feel so unhappy because they're not balanced. Long story short- he's going to come home soon, going to work out a relatively acceptable visitation schedule, and going to be a happier person because he's doing so. At least, that's my vision of the future.

I don't want children, and that includes other people's. Period. It's been one of the two biggest reasons-to-yell-at-me points I've encountered in my attempts at online dating. (Me being godless is the other.) I put my preferences plainly and non-judgmentally up front, and people STILL feel a need to email me to tell me what a jerk I am for the choice. Apparently being a single parent makes a lot of people really really paranoid and defensive. Which are additionally super-attractive traits.