It is not the same, but once I met this guy that had a child through a dating app. He didn’t disclose it on his profile. We talked a lot, for hours, actually. He didn’t disclose it in that first conversation either. But the second time we talked he opened up about it. He told me he wanted me to see him as not only “the guy who had a divorce and has a kid”, but also as just a fun guy with whom I do have some things in common and who can make me laugh. And it was true. I didn’t even get upset, because although he didn’t disclose it right away, he did tell me soon enough and I found his reasoning to be valid. I also already thought that it wasn’t a deal breaker to date people with children, so that wasn’t an issue for me. May be have the first conversation written, so that you can focus on having a nice first impression on a girl without the pressure of talking, and then the second time you talk you could bring it up? Make sure it is still pretty soon, so that the other person doesn’t feel lied to, or anything like that. But it is fair to show them first that you are just a guy with whom they can have things in common and have a nice time. But of course, strategy can only get you so far. For some people this is a deal breaker and there is no way around that. But it will be worth it for you to put yourself out there, because there are for sure also people who won’t mind that.