Dating after 40

I have a “sensitive” stomach. It helps me date better. Why? It’s probably not what you think. It has more to do with men and less to do with food.

They are out there. We know it. We hope we will be lucky enough to avoid them. But sometimes they come into our lives. I encountered one up close last night. I met him online. Before you launch into “This is why dating sites are so dangerous,” I’ve met nearly 100 men this way and…

People often say they treat others as they want to be treated. But in dating (and in life) that frequently results in disappointment, hurt and anger. Let’s examine some common scenarios:

A midlife dating challenge is knowing who is unattached and might be interested in getting to know you. Even when you encounter nice, age-appropriate men, how to you ascertain if they are unattached and interested in connecting? And then how do you seize the day and initiate an invitation — in a classy, low-risk way?…

Getting Naked Again: Dating, Romance, Sex, and Love When You’ve Been Divorced, Widowed, Dumped, or Distracted by Judith Sills, Ph.D. Dr. Sills wrote Getting Naked Again for women over 45, although at times she includes men, too. She approaches the subject with a mix of academic research and anecdotal illustrations. She says she interviewed 100…

You may not be a teacher per se, but we teach by what we advise others. If you’ve been dating for any time, you have no doubt given a friend advice on a situation s/he’s facing. In writing these missives, I’ve become clear that what I suggest to you is often the lesson I need…

A 7-year-divorced, midlife friend is starting to date again after a few-year respite. A few years ago, she fell in love with a man who seemed equally infatuated. They dated for six months, having sleepovers several times a week. It seemed this relationship was going to be long-term, so she took the plunge and introduced…

I’ve been interviewed a lot lately to promote the Adventures in Delicious Dating After 40 book series. A question I hadn’t really given a lot of thought to keeps coming up. It is, “What’s the biggest negative surprise you’ve had with dating midlife men?” Since I keep getting asked this, my response has evolved as…

The term “Beginner’s Mind” comes from Zen Buddhism. It means having an open mind, an eagerness and a lack of preconceptions when learning about a topic or activity, even when you aren’t a novice. Midlife dating can be difficult to approach with a childlike wonder because you’ve dated in the past and/or been in long-term…

Talking about dating with a midlife single friend he asked, “Do you know men’s biggest dating fear?” “Dating a psycho?” “No.” “Getting an STD?” “No.” “She gets pregnant?” “Those are all high on the list, but it’s not what I’m thinking of.”

Valentine’s Day is meant for lovers. So what if you are alone on this day designed to celebrate love? What if you are like many women who are dating, but without a regular sweetie with whom to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Perhaps you’ve been dating around, but there’s no one with whom it makes sense to…