Dating As A Senior Citizen
Considered one of the best senior citizen dating apps in the United States, SilverSingles has over 50,000 new sign-ups a week and is able to match around 2000 couples on a monthly basis. Senior Citizens Dating: Sex & Intimate Matters. Senior dating in 2021 is not only about emotional connection. People of all ages need physiological discharge. Sex is one of the best tools for emotionally effortless living. Remember the following: There's nothing wrong if you experience a reduction in sex drive. The senior dating service helps single men and women start a conversation and find companionship in the dating scene. Senior daters can search for matches and mingle for free. With more than 85,000 visitors a month, and counting, the SilverSingles dating platform ensures that you never run out of senior people to meet.
Can we tell you a secret? Dating is intimidating at every age. But it can also be fun, adventurous, and incredibly rewarding. Especially senior dating. Make no mistake: Dating is not just for young people. Dating is very common among adults who are older. If you’re considering getting back in the dating game, you absolutely should!
Before you make an online profile or start hitting the closest bar, here are seven things to know about dating when you’re older.
1. You’re not alone!
The media paints a picture of online dating as a young person’s game. But in reality, there are many senior citizens looking for love and companionship online. If you’re thinking about trying online dating, don’t let the idea that it’s all young people stop you. There are plenty of people who meet your criteria just waiting for a message from you.
2. First dates are different than they used to be— but that’s a good thing.
You’re not a first-time dater. It may have been a while since you’ve been on a date, but, chances are, you’re not new to romance and relationships. Which means you’ll be able to tell if you’ll hit it off with someone pretty quickly. There’s more honesty, less games, and fewer mixed signals when you’re dating . And being able to assert what you want and what you don’t want is a great feeling.
3. Age doesn’t matter as much.
When you were in your twenties and thirties, dating someone a few years your junior or senior felt like a BIG deal. Many young people still dismiss potentially great matches because they’re turned off by the idea of an age difference. But the older you get, the less age matters. Embrace it—it’s incredibly freeing.
4. Looks matter, but not in the same way.
Ask any young person what the most important part of someone’s online dating profile is, and we guarantee they’ll all say the game thing: their picture. But much like age, looks don’t matter in the same way. Sure, older daters still want to find someone who’s attractive, but they also know that there’s more to someone than their appearance. Looks still matter, but appearance isn’t the top priority, and it’s rarely a deal-breaker.
5. There are online dating sites and services specifically for you.
These days, you can find an online dating app tailored to just about any type of lifestyle, interest, or hobby. And the same goes for older people who are dating. There are apps and matchmaking services that cater to helping seniors find love, romance, and partnership. That said, you’ll find older daters on just about every online dating app and platform. Like we said before, there are more people out there dating than you think!
6. Your priorities might be different.
Younger daters focus on things like chemistry and common interests. And while those are still important things to look for, most people who are dating over 50 or 60 are more interested in other qualities. Like someone they can have a great time with. Many may not even be looking for marriage, just companionship. The more you date as a senior, the more you may realize that your priorities have changed. And if they have, that’s ok.
7. Be prepared for the return of your inner teenager.
It may have been a while since you were last out in the dating world. And even though some things have changed, one thing hasn’t: Firsts are still as exciting as ever. Remember the heart-pounding excitement of firsts? First phone calls, first dates, first kisses. When you’re dating in your older years, you’ll get to experience the rush of firsts all over again. If you find yourself blushing, grinning, or fighting back butterflies, don’t worry—those are all great signs!
See? So called ‘senior dating’ isn’t like dating was when you were younger, it’s even better.
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Returning to the dating scene can be terrifying for seniors. What am I supposed to do and when am I supposed to do it? What should I wear? Where should we go? Questions! Questions! Questions!
Common sense should prevail when it comes to proper dating etiquette for senior singles. Here are our Top 10 quick tips to proper dating etiquette for single seniors who are starting to reenter the dating arena.
- Be ready with some open-ended questions.
- Keep your conversation appropriate.
- Allow the first kiss to happen naturally.
- Only date one person at a time or be upfront about it.
- Take your time.
- Have fun.
Read on for a further explanation.
Contents
- 2 Our Top 10 etiquette tips for single seniors
- 3 Allow the first kiss to happen naturally
What is etiquette?
Wikipedia says that etiquette is the set of conventional rules of personal behavior in polite society, usually in the form of an ethical code that delineates the expected and accepted social behaviors that accord with the conventions and norms observed by a society, a social class, or a social group.
Our Top 10 etiquette tips for single seniors
With apologies to Emily Post, here are suggestions. Rules seem to be too rigid and harsh. Rules stifle fun. Common sense fosters fun!
Be honest in your search
After my wife passed and I decided that I should start dating, I turned to online dating. Having married my high school sweetheart, I was really, really inexperienced at dating. She was really the only one I seriously dated in high school. It was terrifying, to say the least. We had moved quite a bit over our almost 40 years of marriage.
I knew of and about people all over the country. I was totally surprised to see people I knew pop up in my searches. They could have won awards in creative writing. Many of the pictures were twenty years out of date as well.
Is There A Dating Site For Seniors
Be comfortable in your own skin. You are what you are. We all have warts. There is nothing to be gained by posting old pictures and phony bios. How would you explain the differences during the first date anyway? That’s not a good way to establish a relationship. I wrote about online dating in an earlier article. You can read it here.
Men should pay for the first date
I am a bit old fashioned but I believe men should always pay for the first date. If finances are a bit tight, choose the venue for your first date accordingly. Conversely, women should be prepared to offer to pay their share or to leave the tip.
Focus on the little things that do not cost anything. If you are spending less on her, ramp up the attention.
In the liberated environment of today, women can and do take the lead. A new line of thinking is that whoever extended the invitation should pay. However, I am a traditionalist. I think it is best to follow tradition no matter who extended the invitation and the man should pay.
Always choose a public place for a first date
Safety has to be the first rule of senior dating, especially if you met online. Never propose or never agree to any venue that will put you in jeopardy. Chose public, well-lighted places. It is best to meet at the chosen venue. Meeting rather than being picked up has the added benefit of being able to leave when you want to leave if things are going badly.
Follow your gut. If things feel uncomfortable, end the date immediately.
Always let a friend know when and where you’re going and when you will be back. It adds another layer of safety.
Best behavior is mandatory
Both parties need to be on their best behavior. So, what does best behavior look like for you? First of all, avoid the big three topics that might not end well: religion, politics, and money. Everything you do should be built on the foundation of respect – for yourself and for your date.
Relying on more traditional manners from Emily Post to start out any relationship will get you started right! One never has to apologize for being a lady or gentleman.
Be ready with some open-ended questions
Long pauses in the conversation can seem like an eternity. Avoid them by having in mind a few open-ended questions in mind to stimulate the conversation.
Consider it your responsibility to keep the conversation going – not by talking but by asking open-ended questions. You know, who, what, why, when, where questions. They stimulate conversation.
Avoid closed end questions. Those are questions that can be answer by yes or no. They kill conversation. Consider what answers you will get with “what are your hobbies”versus “do you like to ski” and you will get the idea.
If you ask your date about themselves and speak little of yourself, your date will think you are a wonderful conversationalist. In fact, they will be right. You will be!
eHarmony has a great article. Check it our here.
Keep your conversations appropriate
Forget about past relationships. Whether past relationships were good or bad, nothing good comes from looking back while you are getting acquainted on a first date, a second date, or even a third date. There will be plenty of time for that later if the relationship develops.
Focus on the one you are with today and look forward. It is extremely bad form to go on and on about an ex. Conversely, going on and on about a departed partner can be just as bad. It is OK to answer questions but do not dwell on the past.
Be cautious with financial information. Of course, full financial disclosure is mandatory at some point if the relationship develops. Finances should be a taboo subject on a first date and a red flag if it comes up during your date.
Senior Citizen Dating Site
Allow the first kiss to happen naturally
Remember your first kiss when you were a teenager? It was exciting, exhilarating, and scary all in the same moment. You probably were not very good at it either. But, it all turned out alright, didn’t it?
Unleash your inner teenager. Just don’t rush it. Who initiates that first kiss? Either one of you can.
First date? Second date? Third Date? It doesn’t matter. You’ll know when the time is right. Here’s another place to follow your gut.
Aren’t butterflies fun!? They are not exclusive to teenagers and young adults.
Only date one person at a time
It is not unusual to date many different people at a time. The caveat here is that you always need to be open and tell your date. The decision to go exclusive should be a mutual decision. It is not a decision to be rushed.
Take your time
Although, as seniors, our time may be limited, senior dating is more of a marathon than a sprint. Courting requires time. Your courting behavior creates and fosters a woman’s feelings of attraction. The opposite is true as well.
Have fun
Remember that your goal is to get acquainted not a life mate. It is the first date after all. Relax. Smile. Have fun. What is the worst thing that can happen? Quite frankly, if you watch out for your personal safety in your planning, the worst thing that can happen is you don’t go out again. The best thing is you go out again. Isn’t that a win-win proposition?
Best senior dating sites
Following are my Top 5 dating sites for seniors.
- Match
- eHarmony
- Christian Mingle
- Silver Singles
- Elite Singles
You can read my review of them here.
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