Dating during this quarantine season
From May 5, 2020
Christine Baumgartner, a widow and professional dating and relationship coach provides an ongoing blog addressing the needs of widowers and their families as they try to adjust to the challenges of entering new relationships. Visit her blog at ThePerfectCatch.com and and read her bio here.
REASONS WHY NOW DURING THIS QUARANTINE JUST MIGHT BE THE PERFECT TIME FOR DATING
I’ve been hearing from lots of people who say they “can’t” date right now. But I’m here to tell you that – during this season of quarantine – it can actually be the perfect time for dating!
There are so many of you already out there using things like FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom for meetings. So, why not try using it for dating?
A few advantages of virtual dating
Think about it – what a great way to get to know each other without the pressure or concern about getting “physical” too soon.
It also solves one of the biggest complaints I hear about – that when people meet in person, they don’t look like their picture. If you meet using a video app, you get to confirm what they look like before you go through the effort to meet in person.
Ideas for virtual dating
There are so many fun things to do virtually with a new person! For example, the two of you could:
- Read a book to each other.
- Learn a foreign language together.
- Learn a new dance step – country line dancing, salsa, square dancing, etc.
- Learn to play an instrument.
- Pick a recipe, and then cook and eat it together. Are you the type of person who needs a recipe (that’s me) or can you just look in your refrigerator and find a three-course meal (that was Tony, my late husband).
- Do a craft together. Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn? Does the other person know how to do something you’d like to learn? If you’re both learning something new, then you’ll get to see how you each deal with the possible frustrations of learning.
- Give each other tours of your houses. Oh my, what you might discover about each other’s lifestyle! Important: (1) Don’t give out your address. (2) Show only the inside of your house.
Getting to know each other online
As you’re “doing” these activities together, you can ask the other person questions about his or her life. This helps you learn about their traits, which in turn helps you determine if you might be a match (which could lead to eventually meeting in person).
When I brought up the idea of virtual dating in a Facebook thread, one person responded with this comment: “We’ll run out of things to talk about if we can’t meet in person.”
My thoughts on that are… if you run out of things to talk about with someone you’ve just met, this could be confirmation that you are not a match. And how nice to realize this so early in the process!
I’d love to hear from you
Are you someone who has used virtual apps in your dating life? How did it go? Do you have a few good ideas to pass on to readers? Send me an email. I’d love to hear from you!
You can also check out this video about dating online during the current situation.
