First dates are always a challenge. Whether it’s you’re a rookie dater or seasoned professional, we could all do with a little brush up from time to time. Most of the following tips are pretty straight forward, but forgetting just a couple of these tips could leave you second dateless and red faced.
Be on time
The fastest way to make a poor impression on a first date is to be late. If something beyond your control causes you to be late (“I’m having a bad hair day” is not an excuse), let your date know before he/she arrives. Sitting alone at a restaurant can be the most uncomfortable of feelings.
Shower and pack breath mints
Q. What’s worse than dirty teeth?
A. Dirty breath
Q. What’s worse than dirty breath?
A. Dirty everything.
Make sure you are well groomed before your date. Shower, shave, brush your teeth, clean your car… all the little things.
Smell good, but don’t overpower!
Nothing is worse than going on a date with someone who smells like they fell into the perfume or cologne counter or with someone with body odor worse tha wet dog! One or two sprays should do just the trick.
Don’t over or underdress
It’s been said that it’s impossible to overdress, but you can. Renting a tux to see a movie probably isn’t recommended, although on comedic value alone I suppose it could work for some. Remember to dress appropriately for your age and date location.
Be a gentleman, but let your personality shine
Open doors, offer to take her coat, let her order first, pay for the meal, but don’t go overboard. Let your personality shine. If you like to joke around, joke around.
Plan to be flexible
Don’t overthink your first date. Have a plan, but be flexible about it. The more carefully you plan something, the more likely you will be concerned if things change. Go with the flow and relax. There’s beauty in imperfection.
Try not to emulate Charlie Sheen
Drinking too much on your first date will make him/her alcoholic or a party person (code: not genuine). Have a few drinks by all means, but stay in control. When you need to run to the bathroom every ten minutes, it’s a sign you’ve had a few too many!
Actively listen
Eyes up fellas. Girls love a receptive man. Remember, she’s already agreed to go out with you, meaning she likes you. She said yes when she could have said no. It’s your job to make the night about her and ask her stimulating questions.
Don’t take phone calls or respond to text messages during your date
This one applies to both men and women. Your date deserves your undivided attention. Taking calls (especially business calls) is just rude.
Don’t eyeball or flirt with other men/women
We humans are sensitive, jealous creatures. When a date starts to look for other fish available in the sea that night, it’s never a good sign.
Compliment, but don’t sound like a schmuck
You definitely want to say at least one nice thing during your date, but when you start writing poetry or a love ballad on your napkin while she’s in the powder room, it’s going way too far – true story.
Ask your date the questions they won’t be afraid to answer
Getting to know a potential partner requires courtesy, patience, and some tact. We want to talk about ourselves, whether it be our job, ourhobbies, and our favourite movie or band.
Don’t judge
The nerves always kick in before a first date. So be careful not to judge too quickly. After all, we all say stupid things when we’re nervous, trying to impress. If something sounds out of the ordinary, let it slide.
Don’t be rude to anyone during the date
Be nice to everyone – including the restaurant staff, the ice cream guy, the ticket vendor at the cinema, EVERYONE! This rule should always apply date or no date, but rudeness is a one way ticket to making a bad first impression.
Laugh at their crummy jokes
Even if you feel your date isn’t terribly funny, it’s always kind to smile and nod when they attempt to crack a joke. Nothing makes someone happier than seeing another individual react positively to their attempt for laughs. Plus, you better get used to it. You give up any chance of a career in comedy when you become a parent. Worst. Jokes. Ever.
If the date goes well, tell the person!
Tell them you’re truly enjoying their company and you’d like to see them again. Many of us find regret not in the company of the words we said, what we should have said. This goes far beyond the dating world. For some innate human reason, many of us die with our fire buried inside our souls. We grow complacent with habits, ideas, things and people and somewhere along the line we develop a fear of letting others in.
We ask ourselves why and grow frustrated when we can’t find an answer to justify our actions. The reality is, there is no answer. There is simply what you say and what you don’t. Don’t let the fate of your happiness reside in the assumptions of others. Let the truth be known, because at the end of the day, you don’t want to look back and regret not telling someone how you feel.
