The Rules For Dating

Have you ever been on a date where nothing goes right? ‘The date from hell’ begins with a clumsy moment and ends with you and your date fighting over who pays the bill? Well, a lot of people have been there. The times when a man was ever the gentleman and the woman was always an elegant lady have long gone by.

Today the dating game has a different set of rules – rules for dating that have to be followed to the letter if you want the date to go smoothly and pleasantly. Every person is different and there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution for any dating woe. Certain things just don’t work for everyone.

The first most important rule for dating is to communicate well with your dating partner. If you have any preferences, do not hesitate in telling them about it. For example if you are a woman who is not comfortable about letting your date pick the check after dinner, be vocal about it. If you don’t want him to open doors or pull out chairs for you, tell him. Similarly if you are a guy and can’t pick her up before the date, do express your inability frankly so that there would not be any miscommunications later.

Initiating the date can be a complicated matter. Even though dates were always initiated by men traditionally, in the modern world women too initiate dates. Though there is no hard and fast rule about who initiates the date, it is better to do it the way you feel most comfortable.

There is no reason why any one of you should try to control the date. Mutually decide where to meet for your date and decide to do an activity that both of you enjoy. The safest thing is to meet over dinner. However, don’t try to be adventurous with the choice of restaurant. If you want to try a new cuisine, make sure that your date is comfortable with it.

Then comes the perennial question. Who pays the bill? Most women still like their men to pay the bills and therefore men should safely expect to pay most of the time. However, a lot of women these days like to pick up the check after their date. Then there are also some people who feel that it is better to go ‘dutch’ or pay their share. Not discussing this proposition with your date beforehand however, could cause a lot of discomfort.

The thumb rule for any date however, is to be accommodating and to let there be no rude surprises on the date, at least from your side.