Multi-dating pros and cons

When I’ve shared with single, dating guy pals that I’m multi-dating they say that there is a double standard. If a guy talked about having dates with multiple women, he’d be chastised and accused of being a player.

Isn’t the reason for dating to find out who you click with and who you don’t? Sometimes you have to go through a stream of single coffee dates to find someone you want to have a second date with — and who wants to see you again. Is it wrong to have a second date the same week you are having a first date with someone else?

In Date like a Man: What Men Know about Dating and Are Afraid You’ll Find Out authors Myreah Moore and Jodie Gould share that there is nothing wrong with seeing several people at once — as long as you don’t lead them on to thinking they are the only one. Men have been doing this for centuries, and have earned titles like “ladies’ man,” “Casanova,” “playboy,” “Don Juan,” “lover boy,” and “lady killer.” Most of these terms are said with a smile and twinkle, even though some may get some negative feedback, like my male pals mentioned above.

A woman who multi-dates — let alone hot bunks — is called by different terms: “hussy,” “tart,” “trollop,” “hoochie mama,” “easy,” “floozy,” “tramp,” “tease,” “femme fatale,” “seductress,” “temptress,” “siren,” “enchantress,” “vamp,” “man-eater,” “home wrecker” and the now popular, “ho.” I asked a few friends, and we couldn’t come up with a positive term for a woman who dates around. Perhaps we are ahead of society, so no term has been developed!

One of the issues with dating multiple men is when to let them know. While it would seem best to tell him even before a face-to-face, it seems awkward.

Recently, a guy handled this well. In his first email to me he said, “It is only fair for you to know that I am actively dating others. This however does not alter my interest in finding closeness with you, but don’t get mad at me if I don’t propose to you over our first coffee.”

Since I, too, am dating others, I appreciated his candor. I found it refreshing he was so upfront.

Another man told me on the first date he was seeing others. Again, I thought he handled it well. He told me he was attracted to me and needed to let me know he was just starting to date after his divorce, so was seeing a few other woman.

I never lie to a man, but I also don’t like to rub it in his face if I’m seeing others. I drop hints that I am seeing others, and if things heat up, will be explicit then.

Players date others but not let you know. They would try to hide their involvement, lying and covering up. So you can see others with impunity as long as you are open about it and it is OK with them.

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