Hundreds of Heads
Dating? Here’s some advice on getting serious from the book “How to Survive Dating” (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $12.95), straight from people who’ve done it:
“You have to be comfortable with each other before meeting the parents of your girlfriend or boyfriend. I didn’t meet my girlfriend’s parents until six months into our relationship and it went very smoothly. They mostly just made fun of me for my southern accent, but overall it was fine – which it wouldn’t have been if the meeting had taken place any sooner.”
— Eddie Lee, Statesboro, Ga.

“One of the best times to introduce your girlfriend to the family is at big family events. I brought my girlfriend to my mom’s retirement party after we were dating for six months. Before that, she had never met anyone in my family. It was a huge success. People are more open to meeting others at those kinds of events.”
— Andrew, Evanston, Ill.

“People should be friends for at least two years before getting serious. We met on the Internet, so a long courtship gave us more time to know each other — and frankly, it was safer that way.”
— Aida S., New Orleans

“Religion is important to be, and it’s something that has caused problems in the past. In high school, it wasn’t as important to me to date someone who was of the same religion. When I got to college and started getting more into what I believed and started thinking about marriage, it became very important to me. It would make holidays interesting.”
— A.W., Swainsboro, Ga.

“Date people that your parents like — assuming, I guess, that you share your parents’ values. Every guy I dated that my parents didn’t like turned out to be a real creep in some way: One boyfriend cheated on me, another lied, etc. And the guys I dated that my parents approved of really did turn out to be nice guys, including my husband. Parents have marriages, relationships, and some life experience to draw from when they judge the people you date. So, bring those dates home to meet Mom and Dad!”
— Julie, San Francisco

“On the first date, I can tell if there’s chemistry. On Date Number Two, I can tell if we have enough in common to sustain a relationship. If we make it to Date Number Three, we’re probably going to be exclusive. Obviously each situation is different, but I think people should trust their instincts on this one.”
— Sarah Clark, New York

“My advice is, don’t get into a relationship. You are selling your soul when you do this. Remain free, have fun, and stay out of commitments. They will ruin your life. I am as happy as can be dating a girl for a while and then moving on. It never gets boring and I can always bail. I do not worry about being alone. I have friends to hang with. I look for girls who do not want to commit, like me. I go to bars, use eye contact to send that ‘no commitment vibe’ and the rest is artwork.”
— Anonymous, Bloomfield, N.J.

“If you have a chance to meet the mother, do it. The way a guy treats his mother is the way he’s going to treat you.”
— Stephanie Hacker, South Beach, Fla.

Hundreds of Heads Books’ survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life’s biggest challenges and have insight to share. Visit www.hundredsofheads.com to share your advice or get more information.