Is it time? Has it been long enough? Are you ready? When it comes to dating after divorce, only you can answer those questions, but if you are at a place in your life where you feel in complete control and are ready to tackle the big wide world of dating, there are some tips to help you dip your toes back into the dating pool.
Although it might have been years and years since you have had to date, the players are still the same, even though the places might have changed. For instance, being a parent at the age of 40 or 50 might mean that the bar scene is just not for you anymore. And, because you are at a more mature and different point in your life, you will want to find quality over quantity, so where do you go and where do you look?
The first avenue would be mutual friends that can fix you up. Someone always knows someone who would be a great date. Will it be a love match? You won’t know until you try, so put the word out to your friends and family that you are ready to be back on the dating market and see what they can come up with.
Look around your community and join up. If you sit at home and don’t interact, dates will not end up on your doorstep. You have to find the right groups, and you can do this by searching for local meetups either online or through your church or even just by asking around. Think about your hobbies. For instance, do you like to run? Find a running group that you can join. Do you like to read? Join a book club! You never know who you may meet in these types of settings, and the best groups to join are groups for single parents or re-singles. You are sure to meet some eligibles in these groups!
What if you don’t have the time to join a group and your friends have hit a dead end in the fix ups? Go online. There are sites and communities that are dedicated to just catering to re-singles. For instance, my Post-Divorce Dating Club is one such community where you can mingle with like minded people who have been where you are at and are also ready to move forward with their lives. There are lots of sites, so look around for the one that's right for you. Going online is a great alternative for dating, and even though it might appear daunting at first, you don’t have to accept a date unless you want to accept a date.
No matter which route you take on the path back to dating, it is important to always be safe and smart. Only meet people you don’t know in places that are filled with people and make sure you tell someone where you are going and who you are meeting. Be sure your cell phone is charged and never have the date over to your house or have them pick you up.
The basics of 'boy and girl go out for a cup of coffee or a meal and find out if they are interested in each other' hasn’t changed, just the way you might go about finding that boy or girl has, but with the right attitude and the right venues, you will be swimming in the dating pool as a re-single very quickly.
Lee Block is a multi-talented, twice divorced mom of two who saw a need in the post-divorce community and created a family of sites centered around fulfilling that need. Lee has successfully launched The Post-Divorce Chronicles, Lee Block.Com, and The Post-Divorce Dating Club, all within a matter of months. Lee writes for the Huffington Post and was recently recognized by Startup Nation as a Leading Mom in Business in 2011.
