Say that you have children if you have them. You do not need to say their names, their ages in detail, their school, or which nights they stay with you. "I have children who live with me, so my time is planned" is enough for a profile. It filters out people who want someone with empty evenings, which saves you the conversation.
The profile is about you. A paragraph that is mostly about your children tells the other person that a date will be a family event. Some people want that eventually. Almost nobody wants it from a stranger. Write what you do, what you want, and the kind of time you can actually offer.
Mention the children before you agree to meet, not after they have already travelled to see you. A simple line is enough: "I have a son and a daughter, they will not be with me." You are not hiding them. You are refusing to introduce them to someone you have not met.
The first meeting stays in a public place, and it stays without your children. A park with them in tow, a trip that includes them, or a plan at your house because the babysitter fell through are all the same mistake. You do not yet know this person. They do not yet get to know your children.
Be specific about time. "I can do a coffee on a Thursday after school pickup, for an hour" is a kind message. It tells the truth about your week. People who want a free evening with no clock will say so, and you can both decide. People who are parents themselves usually understand the hour.
Do not send photos of your children, their names, or your home address to someone you have only messaged. If a person pushes to meet the children early, or to come to the house, stop. Read the meeting-safely guide before you arrange anything, and keep the first meeting boring and public on purpose.
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