Fall dating dos and don’ts

Summer may be over, but don’t put away that little black dress just yet. The autumn months are still ripe with romance.

Do: Take advantage of the cooler weather

As the summer humidity and stickiness melts away, take advantage of the cooler temps and plan a date outdoors. Hiking, apple picking, and picnicking are all great ideas. Or stay inside and bundle up in a cashmere sweater with your honey and enjoy a nice bottle of wine.

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Don’t: Expect your summer fling to last

Summer and vacation romances are fun, but they’re not called summer loves for no reason. As people return back to school and work, hot and heavy summer flings often cool off too, so don’t pressure yourself or feel bad if, like your childhood camp romances, your adult ones belly-up too. However if your summer fling seems to be soaring on strong, here are some great date ideas!

Do: Go back to dating school

Even if it’s been awhile since you were in school, it’s never too late to learn a new dating trick. Even the savviest of daters can benefit from some expert relationship advice, so take a gander through the self-help section of your local bookstore and pick up a few new tips! Likewise, continuing ed classes are a really great place to meet new people, especially if you take a class like real estate, sailing, entrepreneurship, or a similar course that would appeal to men.

Read about more ways to meet men here >>

Don’t: Skip ahead

Especially if you’ve recently re-entered the dating scene, you may find yourself wanting to skip the tedious, getting-to-know-you process and dive right into the good stuff (the good stuff being amazing sex and emotional intimacy, of course.) However, as your old high school gym teacher used to preach, you have to put in the sweat time, if you want to reap the rewards, so don’t cancel those other dates just yet.

Do: Indulge your inner Mrs. Robinson

Age gap relationships no longer hold the stigma they once do, so if you meet a cute, younger guy, say, while cruising by the local university, don’t be afraid to channel your inner Cameron Diaz or Demi Moore and be a little flirty, even if he’s younger than you!

Don’t: Date your kid’s friends

There’s one exception to the cougar rule, however: Never, ever date one of your kid’s friends. It’s bound to be awkward all-around and it could potentially damage or end their relationship, even if yours works out. (Plus it will be so weird at Thanksgiving.)

More relationship advice

De-clutter your relationship
6 Simple ways to keep a guy interested
Fun fall date ideas