I went out for dinner with one of my best friends at the weekend and found myself musing over the similarities between a date with a girlfriend and a date with a man.
Many of us feel nervous when going on date with someone we are attracted to that is a potential partner, however we should be using the experience of going out with our friends as practice for these situations.
We still need to choose the venue carefully to be somewhere that we both feel comfortable and that location wise it is easy for both of us to get to, with easy parking/public transport links. Also being mindful of budgets and the overall cost of the evening, making sure it is not a stretch for either of you.
A date with a girlfriend can be very different in terms of conversation as we usually know each other well and conversation flows, but it can still be a good idea to have a couple of questions up our sleeves to get the conversation going again in an emergency. When dating men it’s useful to have a few questions to hand just in case we need them, especially on those first dates when nerves can kick in, to prevent there being any awkward silences. This also leads to confident dating.
Dates with girlfriends also help build confidence in social situations, being the first to arrive, talking to the staff at the venue and maybe even making small talk with fellow customers whilst waiting for our friend to arrive. This all helps to ensure you feel more comfortable and self-assured when dating men.
We set boundaries with our girlfriends in the same way that we do with men, for example one of my friends has a “needs to be home and in bed by 10.30pm” rule. I am always aware of that when we go out and we plan our time together accordingly. Have a think before meeting a man what your boundaries are and communicate those with him clearly as you would your girlfriends.
Ultimately the skills and experiences gained from dating anyone can contribute to personal growth and improve your overall dating experiences.
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