THE DOS AND DON'TS OF DATING

Do:

1. Be prepared to hold a conversation. Whether you have to think of questions to ask her or talk about yourself, keeping the conversation going is a lot better than sitting in silence. Anything involving movies, music and television shows are always good conversation starters and a great way to learn what you and your date has (or don’t has) in common. 

2. Have somewhat of a plan. Being spontaneous can be fun, but if it’s a Friday or Saturday night and you are planning on going out to a nice dinner, it might be helpful to schedule a backup reservation just to be safe. Also, tell your girl how she should dress for the date, don’t have her break out the little black dress if you are going to a casual restaurant.

3. Know what type of food your date likes and encourage her to order whatever she wants. Many girls feel modest and order a salad or something light on the first date, but don’t let that be the case. Demonstrate to her that she can be comfortable with you and eat that burger that she really wants.   

4. Ask to take her out again if you feel that the date went well. Too often young men will take a woman out, have a great time and just forget to set up a future date night. If you feel like you both enjoyed yourselves, tell her you would like to do this again sometime and go from there.

5. Expect to pay for dinner or whatever you ‘lovebirds’ decide to do throughout the evening. Even though it is 2012, women still expect a man to pick up the check, especially on the first date. 

Don’t: 

1. Be late. Whether you are picking her up or if you are meeting her somewhere, try to be no more than 10 minutes late unless you call her. Once when that 10 minute mark hits, a girl can begin to feel insecure about how important this date really is to you.

2. Forget to compliment your date. Whether you like her hair, her eyes or her dress, tell your lady how great she looks. Giving your date a compliment will put her more at ease and give her that little boost of confidence. Not only that, but you will probably get a compliment in return too.

3. Talk about ex-girlfriends or past relationships. Although this may seem pretty obvious, you would be surprised how often this happens. Girls are sorry that Suzy Q and you didn’t work out, but just bringing up that past shows that you have not moved on. 

4. Be on your cellphone throughout the whole night. Watching someone check his Facebook and text message his friends throughout the night is not an ideal time for anyone. If you are constantly on your phone it can make your date feel like you are not interested in her and you must have better things to do.  

5. Expect a kiss at the end of the night. Remember boys, this is the first date and most women like to take it slow.