Dating after divorce is a little more complicated than it may have been when you were younger.
You have a few more responsibilities to take care of these days before rushing out to dinner and a movie.
You want to enjoy yourself, right?Then be sure your kids are taken care of.
If you're sitting there the whole time worrying about the kids and wondering what they're doing, you are going to be miserable.
A date is supposed to be an opportunity for you to be without the kids and get to know another adult.
You want to feel relaxed enough to talk openly about yourself and discuss "adult" things.
You don't want to be "Johnny's mommy" or "Mary's daddy" at that moment.
You want to just be an adult and have fun.
My recommendation has always been to try to go on dates when the kids are at their other parent's house.
You know they are OK and you don't have to explain to anyone that you're on a date.
It allows you the freedom to freely focus on the person you're spending time with rather than worrying about how much you're going to have to pay the babysitter and any guilt that might come up from taking time away from the kids.
If dating while they are with their other parent isn't an option, then make sure you get a sitter you trust.
If your kids are older, then have a specific plan in mind for how they are to take care of themselves while you're gone.
Knowing they're safe, allows you to focus 100% of your energy on your date rather than feeling torn between two places at once.