Re-entering the dating scene is frightening

I’m 46, divorced for the second time. My first marriage at 19 produced our daughter, and a 14-year effort for us to grow up and be responsible.

It wasn’t easy; there were lots of ups and downs, with both sets of in-laws mixing in and making things worse.

We finally split up, though we both stayed close to our daughter.

At 35, I was swept off my feet by the man who became my second husband. He was charming, generous and fun-loving.

It took me several years to realize that his weekly poker game and three-times-a-year trips with “the boys” were all part of a gambling addiction. We lost our house. My parents went into heavy debt to help us and I worked two jobs.

I left him when I realized that I could manage fine if free of the financial risks he kept taking.

I’ve been single for two years, have a good job, a nice apartment and my daughter and her fiancé are on solid footing with their relationship.

It’s time for me to start dating and I’m terrified. Online dating seems so random and dangerous.

Current “anything goes” attitudes toward sex aren’t my style. How do I handle how different the dating scene is from what I’ve known? Starting Over

Learn from your own experiences: no rushing, no over-romanticizing.

You’re at risk of both, not just from your past patterns, but also from your current fears of what the “new dating” can involve. Remember to be the new you instead — confident about who you are and what you can and cannot handle.

Start off by socializing more with people you know. Go out with couples, single friends, work pal, etc., to get comfortable in the current social scene.

Let people know you’re ready to date, which will increase your chances of meeting recommended dates personally, not just online.

If you decide to try a dating site, learn from someone experienced in this how to write your own profile and assess those of others.

Then trust your now mature, wiser instincts and do not feel you have to do anything that’s “not your style.”

I’ve never known my dad, but two years ago my mum found him on a social network site. They chatted and started seeing each other romantically. I live abroad so met him on my first visit home. I have a sister from my mum, and brothers and sisters from my dad.

Living away from them, I find it very hard that my sister gets to spend so much time with my dad, and potentially the amount of time she can spend with my other brothers and sisters. My mum and dad are now getting married so it’ll be even harder now. Left Out

These are big changes in your former “family album” — just your mum, a sister and you.

No wonder it’s hard for you to readjust that image, especially when living so far from them.

Attend the wedding as an equal part of your own new, expanded family. Meanwhile, start emailing all and using FaceTime and Skype to be a presence in your family’s life.

They’re not trying to exclude you; it’s a matter of distance.

Don’t let some natural envy of your sister’s access to these relatives grow large and affect your actual feelings toward her and the others. Be happy for your mum and dad to be reconnecting and spending the rest of their life together.

You’re the daughter they had together.

Your current fears of what the “new dating” scene can involve put you at risk of rushing and over-romanticizing