First date do's and don'ts

• March 23, 2010
  
  
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  First date do’s and don’ts

  First dates, while they can be fun, are often just a necessary means to find your perfect match. There are however a few tips you can follow, to make the process not only less painful but hopefully, successful.

  
  

  DO

  • Be yourself – there’s no point trying to be something you’re not (see: don’t lie). If you relax then you might end up enjoying yourself.

  • Be interesting – don’t just sit there and expect your date to do all of the talking and entertaining. Give them something to like about you, whether it be your love of rock-climbing or your fascination with bumble-bees.

  • Be on time – show that you’re genuinely interested if the date, and have the decency to not show up late – there’s nothing worse than thinking you’ve been stood up.

  • Compliment them – even if you’re not interested, there’s no harm in saying something nice to your date – go on make their day!

  • Have good manners – there’s no excuse for poor table manners; keep your mouth shut when you’re chewing and use a knife and fork, and things should go smoothly. Gentlemen try to be chivalrous – A woman loves a man who will hold the door open and pull out her chair.

  • Go Dutch – We hate to say it guys, but if you ask her on a date then be prepared to pay for it. Ladies, offer to split the bill but don’t insist if he feels strongly about paying – you don’t want your first domestic to be over a dinner bill.

  • Wear sexy underwear – you never know what your date might lead to. You don’t want to be in the middle of the throws of passion in granny pants or dirty boxers.

  • Give them a chance – even if you’re not sure about your date on first impressions, try to give them the benefit of the doubt – they could be your perfect match given the chance.

  • Date safe and speak up if you feel uncomfortable – if you’re date wants to go somewhere else or wants to move things along faster than you’re comfortable with, make sure you let your feelings be known – if they are worthy of a relationship, they’ll understand.

  
  

  DON’T

  • Lie – by pretending you’re something that you’re not, you’re setting yourself up for a fall. If things between you and your date progress further they are going to find out the truth.

  • Flirt with other people – have some respect for your date. Keep your eyes and attention on your date at all times, even if the bar tender is insanely hot.

  • Dress inappropriately – wear what you feel comfortable in but don’t go over the top. Ladies, less is not always more, and gentlemen, clean is the way forward.

  • Talk about past relationships – under no circumstances should you talk about past relationships. Keep your conversations light and far from your sex life.

  • Drink too much – alcohol is not your friend on a first date. One drink may steady your nerves but 5 glasses of wine is only going to lead to embarrassment.

  • Don’t freak them out – any mention of marriage, babies and the future should be saved for much further down the line. While you may be really interested in your date, but baby names and centrepieces will only scare them silly.

  • Leave them hanging or stalk them afterwards – behave appropriately. Let them know that you like them, but don’t overdo it – they don’t need to be texted, facebooked and called, just to tell them you would like to see them again. If you don’t want a second date, then be honest and don’t lead them on, but be careful and always be polite.

  
  Ultimately, if you have to decide the best way to behave, given the situation; if you want to kiss them, do it, and if you want to make an excuse and leave, run for the hills! Loopylove is always here to help you find another!