Tips For Friendship Blind Dating

Meeting people online is one way to meet people

You are able to meet people you would not normally meet. FB groups are great for networking on specific experiences like homeschooling.

• Write a good post on social media. "My name is ____ . Would anyone like to meetup next week at the park? We live in  town and our kids are    ages  . "

• Don't forget to check your "other" messaging folders so you can see when people take you up on it!

• Be reachable. Strangers will be contacting you to invite you to things, cancel or letting you know they are running late. They will likely not be on your friends list or in your phone contacts. Provide them with a good way to reach you. Don't screen your calls. Read and respond to messages in a timely manner.

  

  someone is lamenting about people not responding.

  
  

  

  Stop screening your calls if you want to make and maintain friendships.

  
  

• Be honest. You will need to share things about you and your life, like your town and your kids ages to connect with people. Do not post using the"anonymous" feature. Do not lie and waste other peoples time.

• Be safe. Not paranoid. Use good discernment. Be mindful about who you reject, what bridges you burn, boundaries you make and who you ghost. Do a little background check before you meetup by googling people and looking at their social media pages.

• Be aware of your internet footprint. Strangers who are interested in being your friend will be looking at your social media and googling you. If you are concerned about your safety or what they might see, you might consider cleaning up your social media. For example, you might change the privacy settings or remove any personal information and photos.

• Pick a location that works. This might take some scouting. Counter service restaurants, playgrounds that have bathrooms and that are easy to find. There is a game store near me that has a cafe and game library for customers to use. I do not recommend meeting at a zoo, table service restaurant or field trip situation where it would cost extra time or money for you if the other person did not show up.

  
  

Here are my tips for "The First Blind Date"

• Be on time. If you are stuck in traffic or something, contact them ASAP!

• Don't flake out. True, life happens sometimes. Give adequate notice before your meetup. Cancel if needed and reschedule. Do not stand people up!

• Make your first impression the best it can be. Be friendly. Make polite conversation. Be approachable. Put some effort in your appearance.

• Be flexible and give grace when appropriate. Your new friend is also having a chance to make a good first impression. It might be clear their child is having a bad day.

• Keep your meetup short. In my experience, 60- 90 mins is ideal. Use discernment. If your kids are done in 45 mins, end then.

• Make polite conversation. Don't just sit in silence. Get to know them. Ask about classes their child is in. Talk about upcoming vacations and holidays. Talk about each others hobbies.

• Don't be a "Mean girl". Be nice!

• Tell your kids what to expect and the rules if they will be joining you. Tell them what the boundaries are in your location and to stay within them. Tell them to play niceley with the other kids. Tell them that you will give them a 5 minute warning before leaving and that is the time to go down the slide one last time and thank our guests for meeting up and anything else they need to know.

  
  

  If your "blind date" goes well, Keep it going!

• Friendship dating is hard! It is so important to maintain your friendships after the first day. It is hard to make new friends and build rapport with them. It's hard reaching out to strangers on the internet and inviting them to meetup. It is hard to make the first movie and coordinate schedules. It's hard to chat with people at your childs dance class or summer camp and ask to eschange numbers. It's hard to work to make a good first impressions with strangers.

• Be sure to work to maintain this friendship on your end in real life. Don't just "friend" them on FB or follow them on social media. Plan to meetup with them again in a month or two. Add them to your address book, Christmas card list and birthday party guest list.

• It is unhealthy to maintain a friendship by yourself. You cannot be the only one inviting them to a playdate, sending cards and texting them. Hopefully, your new friend will put effort into the friendship and initiate meetups with you the future too.

Click to see the Friendship Pact

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