So I often have this discussion with various people for some reason about date etiquette. We all know that when you first meet a person sometimes you hold back because you don't want to scare them off. In that case, you do things differently around your date then you would at home or around family and close friends.
1. Don't let your eyes wander Fellas and ladies (occassionally :-) When you are on a date, you want to give that person your undivided attention. If a piece of eye candy walks by and you want to take a peak, if you must look, be discreet about it. Please don't break your neck to look, that is rude and disrespectful.
2. Stay away from gassy foods Say no to beans! Ok so everyone passes gas, it is natural, but please do not eat any foods that will cause you to flatulate more than usual. Gassy foods can cause major damage. Especially if you are in a car and you have a "slow leak" the silent ones are the worst please no flatulating...major turn-off.
3. Don't try to eat cute For instance people say stay away from fingerfoods on first dates because you don't want to seem messy. I probably would never order chicken wings on a first or second date because he would think I never ate in my life. I don't know, but I find it hard to believe there is a cute way to eat a chicken wing...I tried it...it didn't work (don't judge me). Be mindful of what you order.
4. Don't talk about your ex Take this time to get to know each other. He/she really doesn't need to know that Tyrone was a dog or that Tiffany slept with your best friend. Your ex is your ex for a reason. Keep them in your past, don't let them ruin your future.
5. Don't talk about yourself for the ENTIRE date It is not all about you! If you spend the entire night talking about yourself you won't see if he/she is a weirdo and may end up on an unnecessary second date! You must also show that you are interested in the person you are dating and that you actually want to get to know them. If you are not interested or do not want to get to know the person you should not be on a date with them.
6.Avoid answering your phone Answering your phone, texting, tweeting, sending instant messages through out the date can be pretty rude. In most cases if you are going on a date you will let the people who are important to you know and say call in case of an emergency. If it is not an emergency, you really shouldn't answer or respond. I went out with my friends one night and we watched this woman talk on the phone for the entire date. She didn't even put the phone down to chew. Your friends can wait for the updates later or if anything, excuse yourself and go to the restroom. Don't have a 15 minute convo with Sharee about her Tiny &Toya
7. Keep some of those skeletons in the closet You should be selective about the information you share with the person you are dating, depending on how long you have been dating. Some information should be kept personal. You do not want to share your deepest and darkets secrets within the first week of dating. Remember there is something called TMI and it can be a turn off if you reveal too much.
8. Keep your alter ego at home I'll admit, sometimes I can be a little snappy and attitudy, but that's only when I'm extremely upset. I try to keep that side of me away. In most cases when people have attitudes or become rude it is unnecessary. If you have a different side that's a little bit wilder and risque...you may scare the person off if you come on too strong.
9. Avoid confrontation I love a great debate. I wanted to be a lawyer at a point in time. Before. whenever I would engage in a "healthy debate" I would not back down. I would argue my point until I turned blue in the face (that was the old Janique). I realized how many confrontations I would get into with guys I dated because "my opinion was all that mattered." If you are like how I was, it is ok to back down (once in a while :-) Debating with a person that you are dating can cause unneccessary problems. Learn how to agree to disagree. This will save many of your relationships.
10. Don't be late This is one of my pet peeves! I seriously dislike people who are constantly late. The world does not revolve around one person and it is really unfair to have people waiting for you. If you are going to be late call, send an e-mail, facebook message, text, tweet, send a note by pigeon or something, but it is really inconsiderate to always be late. Don't say "well if you really want to go on a date you will wait." That is just selfish so try to be punctual please.
This list is not the bible of dating, but these are just some of suggestions that can probably help your dating life. I am not guranteeing that your dating life will be perfect with these 10 pointers. These are just suggestions taht I think are practical and that people constantly overlook. I hope these tips help!
~Nique
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