Outrageous Dating Etiquette Rules Your Parents Followed Gallery
There are a lot of outdated etiquette rules and an equal number of ways that dating has changed in the last 20 or 30 years. Of course, there's also an intersection between old-fashioned rules of etiquette and how you meet and fall in love with someone. At the cross-section, of course, are a batch of outrageous dating etiquette rules your parents followed.
Some may say that chivalry is dead and deride that fact, and while we certainly hope and expect that women and men are always treated with kindness and respect, we're kind of OK with chivalry being a relic of the past. The idea that a man has to make the first move, that a man has to pay for dinner or that a woman's chair needs to be pulled out for her as she sits down at dinner are things that need to be left in the past.
But these were some rules that your parents had to follow! Imagine sitting by the phone just waiting for your new crush to call you back. Today, you don't have to wait three days! You can just shoot them a text and ask how they're doing. So ditch those old-school playbooks and see what other crazy dating rules your parents followed.
The Man Needed Be the One to Ask the Woman Out
Most old-fashioned dating rules and advice rely heavily on outdated gender roles and stereotypes. Assuming that the man is the dominant personality and thus must initiate a date night is an idea that needs to be left in the Stone Age. If you're a lady and you're crushing on a cutie, just ask them out!
The Man Had to Pay
Those dated gender roles also dictate that a man should be the one who pays for a date, no matter what. But who should really pay the bill? Whoever did the asking! Modern etiquette rules dictate that a date is technically an invitation, so the asker picks up the tab.
Your Date Would Pick You Up at Your House
Want to know how dating has changed since you were in high school? Well, you're going to meet your date at the location of your outing. It's kind of a safety issue and less of a rule of etiquette. When meeting people online (as many modern daters do), it's just safer to meet in a public space rather than let a practical stranger know your home address. Though this is a guideline now, someone asking their date to just meet them at the bar would have been a major turn-off back in the day.
Meeting the Parents Was a Must
Part of the reason why someone would pick up their date at home is so they could meet the parents before the big night out on the town. And while this rule may still be true for teenagers and people with very strict parents, most adults see meeting the parents as a huge step in a relationship.
The Man Had to Walk on the Street Side of the Sidewalk
This rule is seriously archaic. When two lovers would stroll hand in hand down the sidewalk en route from a movie to dinner, etiquette dictated that the man should walk closer to the street. Presumably, this was seen as an act of protection, but today it just seems oddly strict.
The Man Always Brought a Small Bouquet of Flowers to a First Date
Think of a classic 1950s-style date scenario. A nervous suitor walks up the path to greet his date, clutching a small bouquet in hand. Yeah, that's not happening today. While flowers are always a welcome gift, bringing them to a first date — especially to someone you don't know that well yet — would be seen as seriously cheesy today.
Little Acts of Chivalry Were Must-Dos
Opening the car door, allowing the woman to walk out of the elevator first and pulling out the chair may seem like sweet and small ways to be more polite, and in the olden days, they were. But today, small acts of chivalry may be seen as mildly demeaning or just awkward.
You Always Gave Second Chances
There was no such thing as a one-and-done dating deal back in the day. Did your first date have terrible table manners? Were they awkward and nervous? Well, that's OK! Even if there was no love connection on date one, you went on a second date. In today's modern dating world with limitless options on dating sites and apps? A second date is earned, not required.
You Would Wait 3 Days Before Contacting a New Love Interest
If that new cutie did know how to make a great impression on the first date, you wouldn't contact them right away. Oh no. There was an arbitrary rule of etiquette stating that you had to wait three days before calling them again, even just to talk. These days, if you had an amazing date, you'll follow up later that evening with a quick text.
The ‘3 Date Rule’
You go on one date, then two dates and well... by the third date it was time to take your relationship to the next level and "seal the deal" (in so many words). These days, it's generally accepted that no one "owes" anyone else any form of physical interaction at any point. If you're not feeling it, take your time! But it's also not frowned upon to hop into bed with a new love interest on date one or date two. You can take this major step at your own pace and comfort level. Thinking otherwise is just another life rule you need to ditch by age 40.
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