Somethin' Special's 22 Favorite Dating Rules

As I am a reformed serial dater/ dinner whore/ movie whore, etc. I have decided to compile some of my favorite dating rules for the good of all daters everywhere. Hope you enjoy.. Date long and prosper!!

#1 Remember his/her name after initial contact. Seems like a no-brainer but I've seen it happen. Heck I'm guilty of it...

#2 If you met online (its 2009 people give in!) converse with them for at least a week or even two before giving them your #. It’s easier to dodge some one's email than their phone call.

#3 Prior to knowing each other for over 3 months Text should NOT be your main vehicle of conversation. Texting every so often isn’t bad but passing messages back and forth all day everyday with nary a date or phone call in a week is juvenile. You aren't a teenager grow up and pick up the damn phone!

#4 If you are the person who proposed the date YOUR paying. Girl or Guy doesn't matter. We're in a recession everybody has bills to pay and if your broke there are many great FREE dates you can propose (THAT blog coming soon I see people need help in this department). If going dutch wasn’t established prior to the outing do not be shocked when given the side eye when asking for your dates half. In fact don’t be shocked when they excuse themselves and walk out of the venue.

#5 If your best friend is of the opposite sex slip this into conversation within the first 2 weeks. Better to find out their views early on the concept of male and females being able to have a platonic friendship.

#6 Don't bring them around your friends and family until you are considering claiming them. Before that time it is too soon. If you don't last and they stay friends with whomever you introduced them to there's a good chance of running into him/her at your cousin's son's bar mitzvah.

#7 DO introduce your new lady/male friend to your friends and family eventually for two reasons (a) These are the people that know you best. They'll be able to tell if s/he will be able to take you at your worse. When you’re raging or crying snot all falling out your nose and all. They may surprise you. (b) No one wants to be anybody’s secret date. If dude/chick isn’t willing to show you off they aren’t worth your time.

#8 Whether you've just begun dating or you've been together for a significant amount of time DO NOT go clubbing with them unless rules have already been established. If you’re a wall flower and they could dance circles around M. Jackson chances are your not the only person that will want to get close. Man, if they can move like Tito Jackson someone will want to get close. It’s the club people come out to dance and have a good time… well some people do.

#9 Once you've established exclusivity its a good look to switch your status on those pesky social networking sites. Quit your groaning! It'll save you from petty arguments later on about the fact that your status says your single and you’ve been with them for six months now.

#10 Your house is not a first date spot. It may not even be a 2nd-10th date spot depending on who the potential is. Whats that you say? Your culinary skills are sick and it'll impress them? Pack a picnic basket and leave the MTV-like cribs tour for another day!

#11 Per Rule #5 NEVER encourage your significant other to drop their good friend of many years because they are of the opposite sex. If they listen it shows a lack of loyalty; also they may resent you later. If they don't listen you might forever be the sworn enemy of that friend. Your best bet is to get to know the offending individual and figure out if they have any sneaky motives. Trust your partner enough to know the difference. Implying that they have had said friend around them for so long and they only want to get into their pants undermines their intelligence. Even if it IS true you shouldn’t be the one to tell them it’ll only look like your jealous.

#12 Once you receive a networking site friend request from said potential DO NOT cyber stalk this person! Jokingly dropping hints that you saw how many 'gifts' they got today or how funny the joke was that I wrote on another random person’s wall is not cute. In fact its grounds for me to de-friend you immediately *insert blank face here*

#13 On a first date do not utter any of the following terms: ‘Safe Food’, ‘Bubble Guts (or any variation of the word)’, ‘My Ex’, ‘When we get married’, ‘My mother/father would love you’ ‘I voted for McCain and/or Bush’, etc. There are several more but these to me top the list.

#14 Though some believe bringing up religion is a no-no I disagree. If God is a big part of your life put it out there before the first date during those phone conversations. No I didn’t say start quoting scriptures and preaching fire and brimstone; slipping it into conversation by saying something like: “God-willing I’ll get that promotion. My Pastor reminds us every Sunday to speak things into existence.” Also on the flip side if you’re a satanic worshipper that is something they may want to know prior to you taking them to the rave where chicken blood rains from the ceiling in between the bands sets.


#15 On the flip side of #9 don't put In a Relationship/Its Complicated/Married/Engaged/Swinging if you the only people your dating is your friends and family. We are not in kindergarten anymore. Who still pretends to have a significant other anymore? Is this person still eating paste too? No self-respecting potential will take you seriously if you have it up that you are in any sense of the word taken.

#16 If you have photos that could potentially be argument provoking un-tag yourself on these networking sites. Whether you just met or you guys are heading down the aisle soon these photos though innocent can cause many a problem.

#17 Whatever is in your potentials email/voicemail/snail mail/text inbox, etc. is none of your damn business. DO NOT go searching through their things when they get up to use the rest room. What is in the dark will come to light. And that’s NATURAL light. You are not a detective point your flashlight elsewhere.

#18 After receiving 'the digits' your initial contact should not be thru text. I cannot stress this enough. Text messaging though fun when used for evil is.... well evil. Initial contact should be made by phone. Texting me to find out if I can call you or vice verse just lets me know you ate lead paint as a child. Pick UP the phone and call.

#19 Know your wireless carrier!! Some of you may not know that Verizon customers have a beep at the end of their ring when someone calls them and they are on another call. By not answering that call and then hitting the caller back later saying you were sleep, lost your phone, with your sick grandma makes you a KNOWN liar. You could of been on a business call or conversing with someone else your dating and you were unable to click over. That's fine (don't SAY that). But leave it as "I'm sorry I missed your call I was on the other line". In the beginning this is fine... once you guys are dating exclusively you may want to tell whoever your on the phone with to hold on so you can click over to tell your boo that you need to hit them right back. Either way they know your on the phone don't let your carrier tell on you.

#20 It is to be assumed that when you met the potential you already had a full team of potentials. 5 of whom are in the game a couple bench warmers and possibly even a 'towel boy'. This is none of their business. Your only dating. They do not own the rights to be the only player on your team until they can prove they can play the role of every player on the team by their self. Consider this a Dating Don't Ask Don't Tell policy.

#21 When calling a potential leave a message if they do not pick up. Continuously calling their phone and never leaving a message will get you on the block list. Most of you live in NYC if you use Mass transit so we do not receive a missed call because we are underground. Even so for you to say "I called you mad times you never returned my call." and having never left a message seems idiotic; which will conclude to YOU having idiotic tendencies. And really... who wants to date an idiot?

#22 Reserve giving your facebook friendship to those you've just met trying to holla at you for at least 2 months after you converse with them. They can find out about your little idiosyncrasies later....


Now these are not the extent of all the little things one should keep in mind when navigating your way through the dating scene. These are just a few of my favorites! See any up there that you think need to be added as well?