1. Greeting

 

On approaching him, you falter. Do you go in for the hug, kiss on the cheek or shake? 

 

I remember meeting one guy’s parents for the first time and as I stuck out my hand ready for a good shake, it went plunging into his dad’s belly. Without any thought, he came charging at me with big, open arms; obviously keen for hugs.

 

Pick the atmosphere and work with it.  A kiss on the cheek works for a dinner date – it’s also a great way to show your date you’re interested. But if you haven’t met properly and you don’t know much about your date, stick with a shake.

 

2. Manners

 

Chivalry. I love the idea of the guy walking on the car side of the footpath, opening the door for you and standing up for you.  It’s a lovely gesture and makes you feel really special. But it’s important for us ladies to be polite and use our manners too.

 

Don’t skimp on the ‘please’s’ and ‘thank-you’s’ and be patient – don’t talk over the top of him, no matter how important your story is.

 

3. Swearing

 

Whenever I hear of or am with a guy who swears incessantly on a date I just cringe.  You are a lady and he bothered to ask you out specially on a date. So don’t put up with that crap. It’s just respectful for both parties to keep the language PG-rated.

 

4. Names

 

Once, when meeting the parents of a guy, he introduced me as ‘Sarah’.  Now, I knew he was not seeing anyone else so I got over it pretty quick (his chronic flushed rouge cheeks gave the impression he didn’t).  So, I added a swift, witty joke to restore the conversation and atmosphere. 

 

Needless to say, remembering your date’s name and at least one fact about them — like what they do — is vital.
 

5. Phones:

 

You’ve heard it a million times, and I’ll tell you again — don’t use your phone while you’re on a date.

 

Imagine this: You’re sitting in a restaurant, having a great chat with a man you’re very much attracted to. Next thing you know, while waiting for the mains to arrive, he begins to browse Facebook. Immediately, you start to believe that perhaps your conversation wasn’t so great after all. You’re probably really dull and he’s just waiting for the date to be over…

 

Of course, that’s not true! Yet that’s exactly how your date will feel if your face lights up with the blue glow of iPhone addiction. It doesn’t matter if you’re checking your emails, playing Candy Crush while waiting for him to return from the men’s room or sending a “It’s going great!” text to your bestie. None of that is more important than respecting spending time getting to know your date!

 

If you are expecting an important call — a family emergency, for example — let him know at the start of the date! He’ll appreciate the warning.

 

6. Appropriate discussion

 

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock or just emerged from a long-term relationship: reminiscing on past relationships, heartbreak, religion, politics and money are no-go topics on a first date.

 

They say honesty is the best policy, but the guy doesn’t need to know about that friend from work who’s a complete cow and always hogs the photocopy machine.  Nor anything on the larger scale either. 

 

Talking about exes is probably the biggest no-no there is.  Revealing all of your traumatic stories could drive him away quicker than garlic breath. We all have our problems. That does not mean that you need to wipe them on this guy.

 

In fact, don’t discuss anything too private or bitchy.  You don’t want to freak him out!  Besides, you don’t even know this guy. You don’t want to hurt yourself in the dating process. Keep those big skeletons in the closet until you know he’s really interested and you can trust him.

 

Until you’re in a trusting, healthy relationship, leave these conversations to the experts: your friends.