Kids at their dad's this weekend? You've got plans.

Casual Mums is for single mums in the UK who'd like some grown-up company without taking on a whole new relationship, and for the adults who'd like to meet them. Some members want a regular date for the weekends the kids are away. Some want a night out that ends however both people agree it ends. Some mainly want to remember what flirting feels like.

Casual here means honest and unhurried, not careless. Nobody is auditioning to be a stepdad, nobody is owed your evenings, and anyone can say no, or "not yet", at any point. It's for adults aged 18 and over, and the children stay well out of it. If you're still working out what you want, start with casual or serious; how Casual Mums works covers the mechanics.

Three habits do most of the work. Use your first name or a nickname, and leave your surname and exact area off your profile. Never post a photo that shows your children, their uniform, their school or the front of your home. And sign up with an email address you use only for dating.

The rest, from lock-screen previews to the no-tagging conversation, is in our guide to keeping dating private.

Casual Mums shares one member database with partner sites in the same network. Members who joined through those sites can see your profile and message you, and you can see theirs. Each profile shows which site the person joined through.

That means a bigger pool of people to meet, and a bigger audience for whatever you put on your profile. Write it as though anyone might read it, because anyone who joins anywhere in the network can. Our privacy page sets out exactly what is shared.

Casual Mums is run by Ambervine Inc, a Delaware company based in Newark, Delaware. Check the billing name shown at checkout before you pay, both for discretion and so you recognise the charge on your statement.

The guides here are written to be useful first. Every outside fact, from NHS services to fraud reporting, links to the organisation responsible; every page shows the date it was last updated; and mistakes get corrected. About Casual Mums explains how we write, and the facts page puts the key details on one screen.

• Casual or serious: deciding what you want as a parentWorking out what you want, saying it out loud, ground rules that keep it fair, and what to do when feelings shift.
• Getting your dating confidence back after childrenBody confidence, rusty flirting, photos you like, first-date nerves, saying what you want, and handling rejection.
• How to date around childcareSchool-hours dates, the other parent's weekends, choosing a sitter, favour swaps, cancelled plans and keeping two worlds apart.
• Your first date after a separation: what to expectKnowing you're ready, mixed feelings, what to say about your ex, keeping it from the kids, and where divorce law fits.
• Is Casual Mums legit?Who runs Casual Mums, what you pay for, the billing name, partner sites, what's checked, the terms, and how to leave.
• Dating as a single mum, without the school gate finding outProfile details, photos, phones, bank statements, social media, your ex, the children, and what to do if someone threatens you.
• A first-meeting safety checklist for single mumsThe ten-minute checklist: checks before you meet, the place, telling a friend, the date itself, getting home, and if something goes wrong.
• Sexual health when you start dating againFree, confidential NHS clinics, home testing, when to test, condoms, emergency contraception, PEP, and how to bring it up with a date.
• Should a casual partner meet your children?Why casual partners shouldn't meet your kids, warning signs, checks you can ask the police for, and how to introduce someone slowly.
• What does MILF mean, and how do mums feel about it?The meaning of MILF, where it came from, why mums react so differently to it, and how to approach a single mum you like.