Latina Plus-Size Model Denise Bidot Dishes on Dating & Self-Care as a Single Mom

Bidot grew up the daughter of a single mom, and now, she herself is a single mom. Bidot's mother, who didn't date again until Bidot was 18 years old, had some words of wisdom to impart to her daughter after Bidot's breakup with her daughter's father.

She advised her daughter to not make the same mistakes she did. Her mom recognized that Bidot had big goals and dreams for her life but cautioned her, "Don't forget about love!"

Mom's advice became crystal clear during the pandemic. With her daughter getting older and after years of putting her love life on the back burner, Bidot finally had time to recognize that she wanted and valued companionship and decided to stop waiting to be worthy of a relationship.

Bidot says that at this point in her life, she knows what she brings to the table and she's finding her balance. Most importantly, she is finding a way to balance being a mom and reentering the dating world.

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Bidot is a huge advocate of self-care. This single mom is newly back on the dating scene and believes that the most important part of self-care is to truly know yourself. “Knowing what you want and what you are worth is key. Work on yourself and healing before going out there and working on it (a relationship) with anyone else,” she tells CafeMom.

When asked if there are any challenges she’s faced while reentering the dating world with a teenager, Bidot says, “No! It’s been a lot of fun because she’s really cool.”

Bidot and her 15-year-old daughter have been a dynamic mother-daughter duo for quite a while. They’ve gone through everything together. “It’s me and her against the world,” she tells us. Bidot says her daughter is such a great support system for her because at the end of the day, kids just want to see their parents happy.

Bidot is a member of the Latino dating app Chispa, "designed for Latino Millennials." Now a spokesperson for the app, when asked why she’s gone the online dating route — particularly as a celebrity and bonafide fashion model — she says, “It’s just the way people meet people today.”

She’d tried dating apps before, but they never felt right. Bidot says she’s not super social and enjoys spending time with her daughter, so she's understandably particular about who she spends her time and energy on. We think a lot of moms get that.

Bidot shares that being on Chispa gives her the ability to put herself out there, be vulnerable, connect, and discover what she likes and doesn’t in a partner. She says it's been eye opening realizing what matters to her when choosing a companion — things she’d never considered before.

"I love it! I like to see our community," she exclaims.

Bidot says she actually hasn’t met anyone who hasn’t personally had an online dating experience, adding that she even knows several people who've found spouses and lifelong partners through dating apps. In today’s world, people have to realize that connections come in so many ways.

“If that’s the way you find love, there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing to be ashamed about,” she tells us.

But what does Bidot's Puerto Rican mom think? Just like her daughter, her mom wants nothing but love and happiness for her. "Go find love!" she tells her.

Bidot loves what she does, and her daughter is her everything. In modeling, she says no two days look alike, and her Gemini soul loves it. “I’m always happy traveling and moving,” she tells us. It's worked out well for her and her daughter.

The mother-daughter duo has traveled the world together and gotten to experience so many firsts side-by-side. Bidot says she's “really grateful for my job and being able to share this” with her daughter. Life is about more than just financial security, it’s all about living the moments and making memories with the people you love. There is nothing more important than being present.

Perhaps most importantly as a busy, working, single mom, Bidot fully embraces the importance of self-care and acknowledges that it looks different for everyone.

The first thing Bidot does when she wakes up in the morning is not to roll over and grab her phone and see what is going on in the world. Instead, she realizes that the most important thing is being present in her little part of the world, the one she shares with her daughter.

She intentionally doesn’t look at her phone for at least 10 minutes in the morning. Next, cafecito (coffee) and conversation with her favorite girl. Of course, moisturizing is important and baths and candles are nice, but sitting down and living in each moment is the most important part of self-care, according to Bidot.

“Enjoying your breakfast without the distraction of the phone is a form of self-care,” Bidot says. Her biggest advice and most important part of her self-care routine is this: “Just breathe in the morning. Start your day slow. It’s all going to come, no matter what.”

We couldn’t agree more. Let’s embrace knowing ourselves, what we want, and our worth. Let’s love ourselves in our soft and slow girl eras. No more measuring ourselves against others. You are the best you there will ever be, and it seems Denise Bidot knows that too.