[Beagle]

Hi. I am resuming dating after the end of a long-term relationship. I am in my early 40's and recently divorced. I have a young son and I am very involved with him. My last relationship, with a lovely and intelligent woman, ended because of the amount of time I'm out of town with him in various activities. I know I'm not at the point in my life where I need to be in a committed relationship. I'm also extremely involved in volunteer work, that my son and I do together, and we're gone for extended periods of time.

My question is this, how and when do I communicate that I'm not looking for an exclusive relationship. I would like to date casually, but I'm worried about leading someone into thinking I'm ready for more than I am, and hurting someone. Of course, when my son is grown, a committed relationship may be an option. Right now, it's not fair to someone when I'm gone for a week at a time several times a year. These aren't activities I can invite a date to join us, since it's working with kids.

It seems kind of egotistical to say "Would you like to go out; I don't want a commitment." How and when in dating should I share that I'm not at a point that I can be a committed partner?