21 Dating Tips for Women: The Don’ts

161824706As promised in my previous post, 21 Dating Tips for Men: The Don’ts, the following is my list of don’ts for women. I was guilty of many of these before my Happily Ever After. Some of these are stories I’ve heard from friends. Some of these were contributed by my partner in crime, Emily. If you don’t know her, you should.

What are some “don’ts” for our single lady friends?

1.  When online dating, don’t go on three dates with three different guys in one day. It gets confusing.

2.  Don’t buy fabulous heels, then wear them for the first time to a concert . . . that you have to walk to . . . from a parking deck across a large park.

3.  Don’t wear a sheer blouse thinking it will be opaque next to your skin.

4.  Should you ever go on a date with a friend of a friend, avoid using that friend as your “out” if or when the date turns sour. It’s likely your date and the friend will talk.

5.  Don’t try to prove how “open minded” you are by dating someone with vastly different opinions about politics or faith.

6.  Don’t hide from a date in the bathroom.

7.  When seated closely at a table, don’t leave your phone upright on the table. He doesn’t want to glance down and see that your friend is texting you to ask if your date’s eyes are really as crossed as they appeared in his online profile picture.

8.  Crevices between teeth love spinach. Don’t cave to their whims. Stay away from greens!

9.  You do not have to prove your spontaneity by attempting to catch bits of chicken in your mouth that are thrown by the hibachi chef at the Japanese restaurant your date chose.

10. Don’t ask him if you have anything in your nose.

11. Don’t be self-deprecating.

12. While on a date, don’t lead him to believe that you’re going to see him again if you’d rather pull your fingernails out with tweezers. Be polite, up front and honest.

13. If you’ve met your date online, don’t allow him to pick you up from work or from home.

14. Don’t let a friend drop you off and pick you up from your date. You may need an escape vehicle.

15. If you have to adjust your clothing when you sit, or stand or reach, you shouldn’t have worn it.

16. Dress for spontaneity. For instance, at your coffee date, you may decide to play mini golf. Those four-inch heels, and v-neck wrap dress, may make for awkward adjustments.

17. Most likely, he will pay for the date. Don’t get drunk on free drinks.

18. If a guy orders the most expensive meal, gets drunk, then tells you he forgot his wallet and asks for money, tell him no, he can call a friend for help. This is when the escape vehicle comes in handy.

19. Don’t be the instigator; let him lead. Once he starts leading, that is not your free pass to try and connect with him via text, phone, Facebook, Twitter, carrier pigeon, Foursquare . . . you get the picture.

20. After meeting him, don’t write a blog post that the entire world can see, giving a complete recap of the date and how God has already told you that he’s “the one.”

21. Think about the craziest girl you know. The one who talks about all her issues, and gets a little too personal, and is a little clingy—okay, a lot clingy—and constantly asks questions like: Are you okay? How are you feeling? Should I have done that? What are you thinking? Don’t be that girl.

Stay tuned to the blog in the next week or so; posts about the “dos” for men and women are coming up!

©2013 Jennifer Wilder. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint or publish this content elsewhere, please contact me through this blog.