Many of us remember, appreciate and long for the days of traditional dating. You know, proper courting. Yes, way before the world of swiping left and right, meeting solely for the purpose of one-night stands and the agony that is online dating, the game of love had, well, actual rules. Sort of.
We asked our Facebook followers to reminisce about some of the things they miss most about dating -- back in the day -- and we got an outpouring of responses. Here's what it seems we're all missing out on in the modern age:
1. There were no sexpectations.
We won't be naive and say premarital sex never happened but sex on a first date wasn't really expected. The night ended after the bill was paid and you said your goodnights. Reader Tricia Scott said she misses not having any mention of sex at all. OK -- maybe just a kiss goodnight.
2. Men were expected to be chivalrous.
OK -- so not every woman appreciates having the door held for them or getting help putting on her coat. But some of our readers said they longed for the charm of old-fashioned mannerisms. "Something you do to be polite and attentive. It can be done on a date, or when getting together with a friend. I do it for my friends all the time just to show appreciation," said reader Christine Boone.
3. Men put effort into their appearance.
Guys, if we spend hours picking out an outfit and perfecting our hair, at least have the decency to scrub up a little. Iron your shirt. And at least run a comb through your hair. As reader Lycia Chiang put it, "Dress as if they are going on a date with a woman, not a bar with his buddies. Put a little effort into it."
4. You could expect flowers.
Either when the guy arrived to pick the woman up -- or perhaps the day after a date -- flowers were the way to show someone you liked them. Oh, and love letters were nice, too.
5. Your date paid attention to you, not to his/her phone.
There's nothing worse than talking to someone who is only making eye contact with their phone. The world is not going to end if you don't check your messages for an hour. And if you really must check, excuse yourself to do so. "Don't constantly check your phone for texts or to surf," said reader Deborah Hitayezu. "That can wait until I go to the washroom with my phone where I'm doing the same thing." Good advice.
6. Men always insisted on picking up the tab.
Reader Lori Kilma said it was nice when the man "insisted" on paying the bill. Other readers shared the same sentiment. It certainly takes away from the slight awkwardness of splitting the check. Perhaps whoever does the asking out should offer to pay -- at least on the first date.
7. There was no talk about your sexual history.
When you overshare about all the notches in your belt, we can only assume you're over-compensating. According to reader Deborah Hitayezu, this can only be bad. You either wind up feeling insecure about your own sexual experience or wondering if you're being compared to all their other so-called "hot" conquests.
7 Things We Truly Miss About Old-School Dating
We asked our Facebook followers to reminisce about some of the things they miss most about dating -- back in the day -- and we got an outpouring of responses. Here's what it seems we're all missing out on in the modern age:
1. There were no sexpectations.
We won't be naive and say premarital sex never happened but sex on a first date wasn't really expected. The night ended after the bill was paid and you said your goodnights. Reader Tricia Scott said she misses not having any mention of sex at all. OK -- maybe just a kiss goodnight.
2. Men were expected to be chivalrous.
OK -- so not every woman appreciates having the door held for them or getting help putting on her coat. But some of our readers said they longed for the charm of old-fashioned mannerisms. "Something you do to be polite and attentive. It can be done on a date, or when getting together with a friend. I do it for my friends all the time just to show appreciation," said reader Christine Boone.
3. Men put effort into their appearance.
Guys, if we spend hours picking out an outfit and perfecting our hair, at least have the decency to scrub up a little. Iron your shirt. And at least run a comb through your hair. As reader Lycia Chiang put it, "Dress as if they are going on a date with a woman, not a bar with his buddies. Put a little effort into it."
4. You could expect flowers.
Either when the guy arrived to pick the woman up -- or perhaps the day after a date -- flowers were the way to show someone you liked them. Oh, and love letters were nice, too.
5. Your date paid attention to you, not to his/her phone.
There's nothing worse than talking to someone who is only making eye contact with their phone. The world is not going to end if you don't check your messages for an hour. And if you really must check, excuse yourself to do so. "Don't constantly check your phone for texts or to surf," said reader Deborah Hitayezu. "That can wait until I go to the washroom with my phone where I'm doing the same thing." Good advice.
6. Men always insisted on picking up the tab.
Reader Lori Kilma said it was nice when the man "insisted" on paying the bill. Other readers shared the same sentiment. It certainly takes away from the slight awkwardness of splitting the check. Perhaps whoever does the asking out should offer to pay -- at least on the first date.
7. There was no talk about your sexual history.
When you overshare about all the notches in your belt, we can only assume you're over-compensating. According to reader Deborah Hitayezu, this can only be bad. You either wind up feeling insecure about your own sexual experience or wondering if you're being compared to all their other so-called "hot" conquests.
7 Things We Truly Miss About Old-School Dating
