Midwest Matchmaking’s List of the Worst Dating Advice Ever

Advice. There seems to be no lack of it especially if you are a Des Moines single and haven’t yet found “the one.” As professional relationship coaches, we’ve helped many local singles sort through the mountains of dating advice that comes from well-meaning aunts, best buddies, work friends, and online sources. While everyone is trying to help, sometimes this kind of dating advice can actually do more harm than good.

All too often, dating advice given by others is just plain wrong.

As Des Moines Metro’s most experienced dating and matchmaking service, we’ve definitely seen it all. One of our favorite pieces of advice involves having your mother write your online dating profile to explain just how attractive, intelligent and successful you really are; but, we’ll save that for another blog.

Here are a few pieces of colossally lousy advice we’ve heard while working hard helping those looking to make a personal, life-long connection.

Take charge.

If you are the kind of guy or gal who likes to make all the decisions, this piece of advice might sound like just the ticket but trust our years of online dating and relationship coaching experience; telling her or him what to wear and ordering his or her entree without their individual feedback is far from the ideal way to capture a heart.

Acknowledging that someone has a mind of his or her own and that you value the opinion is typically the better approach and will lead to more positive relationships in the long run.

Play hard to get.

Given the fact that we are no longer in the Victorian age, our professional online dating specialists at Midwest Matchmaking can safely confirm that playing hard to get is not the best course of action. Especially if you want a solid chance of getting to know someone.

While you don’t need to go overboard with messaging and expressing over-the-top emotions, giving the clear signal that you are interested in the local single you’ve connected with can help move things along.

Fair warning: those who play hard to get sometimes miss their chance altogether.

Be agreeable.

It’s never a good idea to nod affirmatively and go along with someone just to “make them like you.”

Whether you select online dating or meeting in-person, opposing viewpoints can lead to intelligent discourse that can lead to a healthy relationship, if given a chance.

We can confidently speak for our Des Moines singles in saying that no one wants to spend their entire love life with someone who simply agrees with everything he or she said.

Don’t talk about religion, politics or sex on the first (or even second!) date.

Based on our experience as professional matchmakers for local singles, we are here to tell you that these are fair subjects of conversation that can be discussed when the time feels right.

There should never be a timer running to signal topics that are on and off limits when you are getting to know someone.

Of course, if you are in the dating process and have radically opposing viewpoints, agree to disagree for the time being, and be willing to learn from each other’s perspectives.

Find out now if he or she is marriage material. Don’t waste your time if they are not ready to commit.

We get it. Midwest Matchmaking hears this all the time. Time is flying, or if you’re a female, you may realize that the biological clock is ticking. But, if you approach every new meeting with the idea of finding out if the other is ready to marry, you’ll likely not reach the altar any time soon.

First things first! Relax and get to know each other. Good things take time. As your local single matchmakers, we’ve already pre-qualified who is sitting across from you and asked those time-sensitive questions.

Just be yourself.

This can be the best advice, or the worst advice, depending on a couple of things. If your typical pattern is to go on a date and not make an attempt to “step up” your game just a little, you may be missing out on the chance to impress someone for the long term.

Also, if being yourself hasn’t worked out so far in the local singles scene, maybe it’s time to talk to a professional matchmaker and relationship coach to help you bring your BEST self to that first date.

While you should never pretend to be someone you’re not, there are ways to better position yourself for dating success. The Des Moines Midwest Matchmaking’s team has the experience to help you examine the multitude of dating advice you receive so you can bring your best self to a new relationship.

Are you ready to sort through the things that might be holding you back? Call us at (833) 4MW-LOVE.