Wintertime, and the Dating is Easy…

For most of us, the Christmas/Hanukah and New Year’s holidays embody a number of traditions: Spending time with family (while trying to maintain sanity), making resolutions (which never get kept), watching college football bowl games (that are rarely very exciting).

And now, according to industry experts, there’s another seasonal tradition: It kicks off a boom in online dating.

A number of factors contribute to the uptick in online activity. Perhaps the disappointment of being alone over the holidays is inspiration. Some might even make going online a New Year’s resolution. And the cold weather may play a part — it’s only natural to want someone to stay in and cuddle up with.

So, if online dating is part of your plan, are you ready?

Have any of you Divorced Over 50 women ever said something along the lines of, “There just aren’t any great guys out there for me to date”?

Or, if you haven’t actually said it, have you thought it? It seems like a pretty widespread sentiment — the kind of thing you hear a lot. The real problem, though, is that when a woman accepts that belief and throws in the towel, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Instead, what if she flipped the script and took control of the situation?

A lot has changed for us Over 50’s since we were teenagers. And some things have stayed very much the same.

In regard to dating, relationships, and sex, here’s a look at what men said, thought, and worried about back when they were teenagers, and what they say, think, and worry about now that they’re Over 50:

Ken Solin is a dating coach who specializes in the Over 50 demographic. He’s appeared on the Today Show, and written for Huffington Post, AARP, about.com, and others. He has two books available, The Boomer Guide to Finding True Love On-Line, and Act Like a Man.

In this piece, Ken writes about First Date Mistakes, drawing on his insight from counseling clients, as well as comments that have been posted on articles he’s written. As he says, it’s not rocket science, but his article makes several points that should help increase your odds of getting a second date.

Who wants to relate their own bad date story, whether the villain or the victim? Please click Read More and use the Comments section to tell us your tale…