DATE DOCTOR’S VERDICT
OUR dating doctor Alana Kirk, a single mother of three and a midlife dater herself, gives advice on how to warm up a particularly frosty encounter. THERE can be few worse feelings than facing an evening when you instinctively know it will be hard work. If, for whatever reason, the chemistry is not there, a date will often go one of two ways: both people realise romance isn’t on the menu, but can still enjoy the conversation and stay for coffee, or it can lead to an awkward rush to finish the food and call a cab.
So what can you do when the only thing sparkling at the table is the fizzy water? The first thing to remember is that everyone will have a lacklustre date at some point. It doesn’t have to mean there is anything wrong with you or your date, just that you are wrong for each other.
It’s important to stay open-minded — there could be lots of reasons why the date isn’t warming up. Most are probably not about you. Use open-ended questions to get the conversation flowing better. Most of all try to relax and be yourself.
If all else fails, attempt to find the humour in the situation and notch it up to experience. And try not to let it put you off dating again. Keep trying, keep learning and keep positive. You just never know when that spark will ignite.