
5 Ideas for Avoiding an Awkward First Date
by SingleRoots
We’ve had our fair share of bad dates. So many, in fact, our friends have often told us they would pay our online dating membership just to hear our stories. So when it comes to dating, who better to advise you than those of us who know it well.
1. Don’t talk politics: Sure, at some point you’ll need to know if your date votes red, blue, or some shade of purple, but for now just get to know them. No need to talk politics or abortion or any other controversial matter until at least the second date, if there is a second date. And trust us, there are a million other conversational topics you can cover that will reveal whether or not you should have a second date. Considering you’re both Christians, conversations about Jesus and church attendance and your love for all things Dungeons and Dragons will be enough to let them know if they should run for the hills or stick around. No need to pull out the big guns just yet.
2. Put away the cell phone: We’re not saying you need to leave it in the car, but for goodness sake, take our online Christian dating advice and be completely present on your date. Go ahead and put that phone on silent, too, while you’re at it. Being “present” doesn’t mean digging a ringing phone out of your pocket or purse. Everything can wait until you’re finished with dinner or coffee. Because, really, if the date isn’t going well, you’ll be back in your car and headed home soon anyway. And at that point, our advice becomes, “Don’t text and drive.”
3. Don’t appear too eager: Guys, flowers on a first date can be a tricky thing. If she really likes you, she’ll think they’re lovely. If she’s not too sure, they could creep her out. If you really think you need flowers on that very first date, at least make sure the price tag is removed so she doesn’t know you went the cheap route and picked them up at Walmart for $9.99 on the way. And ladies, if you’re going to Facebook-stalk him before the date, tread carefully with all that knowledge you acquired from perusing his social media accounts. Nothing says “eager” like calling his dog by name when he’s never even mentioned he has a pet.
4. Don’t appear too serious: There’s an art to dating, and to be sure, none of us do it perfectly. But you can also take something that’s supposed to be a fun learning experience and turn it into a somber occasion. If you start with prayer, end with prayer, and send your date off after a discussion of not being able to commit to another date until you’ve had more prayer and fasting about it, you probably don’t need to worry about Date #2 being an option. This being Christian dating advice and all, we believe it’s important to go before the Lord with your decisions, but you can get a little too holy about things.
5. Rip the Band-Aid off: Don’t sit in your car on the phone with your friend while you’re slyly watching your date walk across the parking lot and enter the restaurant. Yes, you’re nervous; your date is, too. Get out of the car and go inside. You’ll have plenty of time when it is over to call your best friend and tell them how you actually had a pleasant evening of conversation and good food—and you won’t have to feel guilty for prematurely judging a really nice person.
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SingleRoots.com focuses on reminding singles that they are more than their dating lives. They offer a host of articles on topics of interest to singles—including church and ministry, career and adventure, stewardship, and spiritual growth—and a variety of resources like their Christian dating site reviews where ChristianCrush is ranked.
What else would you recommend for avoiding an awkward first date?
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