Dating tips can help women learn to play up their individual attributes without alienating potential dates or sacrificing their self-respect. Whether it’s a traditional dinner-and-a-movie evening, an online date, or the prelude to a long-term relationship, these tips can help maximize a woman’s chance of dating success.
General Dating Tips for Women
No matter what type of date is planned, some general advice can help any woman show up for a date feeling better prepared and more confident.
Avoid Details
For safety’s sake, in the early stages of a relationship, do not reveal more information about yourself than necessary. In other words, feel free to discuss your life in general, but avoid details that may make it easy for a date to turn into a stalker or that may lead your date into making a snap judgment about your personality.
Do Not Make Assumptions
Do not make assumptions about a man based on physical appearance, education, or activities, just as you would not want him to make such assumptions about you. A shy man may be the most caring, while the man who seems perfect on the outside could be a perfect beast on the inside. Take it slow and let the relationship develop naturally as you get to know one another.
Beware of Possessive or Insecure Men
Dating overly possessive or insecure men could lead to a dangerous situation and unhappy relationship.
Be Yourself
Television shows, movies, and popular magazines tout the virtues of a model’s body, perfect hair, and classic femininity, but that description matches very few women. Rather than try to meet an unrealistic ideal, focus on being the best person inside and out that you want to be. That confidence and honesty will attract dates who respect and value you as an individual rather than a trophy.
Action-Oriented Dating Tips
How a woman acts is the key to keeping any guy around. Even a goddess can lose a man with inappropriate behavior, so take note of these action-oriented dating tips for women:
Let Him Treat You
Realize that most men feel compelled to pay for at least some part of a date. If you are uncomfortable relying on their generosity, don’t hesitate to speak up and split the costs. At the same time, realize that he probably isn’t trying to indicate that you can’t pay, so temper your attempts to pay with understanding.
Avoid Controversial Topics
Avoid lengthy discussions about previous boyfriends, your desire to get married, or other controversial topics unless he expresses an interest, at least for the first few dates. Simultaneously, however, if he expresses an opinion you strongly disagree with, don’t demure to his wisdom – show him you have independent thoughts as well.
Don’t Be Afraid to Make the First Move
Don’t be afraid to approach him if he doesn’t approach you. Today’s women can be more assertive in their dating habits, and you don’t want another woman’s forthrightness to catch his attention first.
Be On Time
While many women feel being tardy is their prerogative, many men are turned off by the regular practice. Punctuality is a matter of common courtesy and a display of mutual respect.
Watch Your Body Language
Make eye contact and avoid crossing your arms, leaning away, or otherwise indicating that you’d prefer greater distance. Good posture is attractive to any man because it demonstrates a woman’s natural confidence.
Join Him in His Fun
Be willing to try activities that he is interested in. You may discover a mutual passion for a particular hobby that can lead to creative and fun dates in the future.
At the same time, do not feel obligated to join in activities that you know you will not enjoy. Bungee jumping may sound like an exciting first date to him, but if he didn’t find it necessary to consult with you, you aren’t obligated to jump just because he paid for it.
Tips for Dating Online
The beauty of Internet dating is that it can substantially widen your pool of potential partners. The following advice can help you maximize your online dating experience:
More Dating Sites…More Possibilities
Registering with more than one dating site at a time can open you up to a broader audience. You can be a member of a paid dating service and also register with a free dating site at the same time to limit costs.
Avoid Answering All Invitations
Only respond to truly potential suitors. First time online daters may feel compelled to answer the majority of their profile responders. However, this can lead to major inbox traffic and the incessant “reply” process can leave you feeling drained. You need to be able to focus all your faculties on the parties that interest you most.
Don’t Sacrifice Your Heart Too Early
During the messaging phase, do not take responses too personally. Remember that the person writing you may also be writing many other members at the same time. In fact, at any time, this person may cease writing you with no further obligation. Such is a peril of online dating, so keep your attachments at bay until you have gone on a few actual dates.
How to Stun Online Daters with Photos
Whereas an engaging personality and a moderate amount of charm may somewhat compensate for looks in the real world, in the virtual world, first impressions and aesthetics are brutally judged. Your profile may be disqualified based on a bad photo, a grainy image, or even the absence of a profile picture. Here are a few things to keep in mind when constructing your online profile:
- Always post a profile picture. In fact, try to post more than one. The more images you post, the more interest you may generate.
- Quantity will not exceed quality in the photo department. You want these pictures to convey your best self while also portraying you accurately. Use good quality images and choose the most flattering of your photos. Skip the glamour shots, however. Such photos rarely convey a person accurately and they might seem a little anxious.
- Use recent photos. Posting pictures that don’t portray the real and current you can defraud your viewers. Eventually, they will find out that your pictures were somewhat dishonest during a real-life meet.
Internet Safety
Unfortunately, Internet predators are eager to prey on women. For safety’s sake, follow these online dating tips for women:
- Keep personal information – phone number, address, etc. – very private until you’ve known the man for a substantial length of time.
- Do not state in your profile that you want to meet in person, even if that is your ultimate goal. Let a man who is interested in you find that out when he earns the privilege.
- To avoid confrontation based on miscommunication, be sure to demonstrate humor or sarcasm in your comments and emails with emoticons.
What Men Really Want
What men really want is a compatible relationship with someone they enjoy being around and can trust. Be yourself and develop a relationship through friendship first, then you can find that dating is an enjoyable, low stress experience.
