Single parents: what are your dating success stories and hurdles?

For those of you who have children and date–I’d like to hear some of your stories (preferably success stories, but whatever you find relevant) in dating when you have a child(ren).

Specifically–what are some of your experiences dealing with men/women who didn’t “get” your kid, didn’t “like” your kid, or just have no idea how to deal with or handle your kid. This is not directly a problem I’m having but I am trying to integrate my boyfriend with my son and as usual, there are ups and downs to deal with and I’m feeling a bit lonely with my thoughts. I feel my problems are normal, but in order to keep perspective, I’m curious to hear what anyone out there might have to say about the topic.

My problem is that I dated a guy a few years ago who was just a moron when it came to dealing with kids. I tried to make it work but ultimately we broke up because we couldn’t gel it. I ended up feeling really alienated and annoyed and protective of my son. I don’t want to take that bad experience into my current really-awesome-want to-marry-him boyfriend. In other words, I don’t want to jump down my boyfriend’s throat whenever he looks at my kid sideways, but I also want to keep a healthy frame of mind and be on the watchout for potential ugliness. I would appreciate feedback from others who have experienced this as well.

Thanks in advance!