To honor the month most focused on matters of the heart, we’re exploring the world of dating and love among seniors.
Hopefully, our post about seniors and romance helped you get used to the idea of seniors dating. Now, we’re working on how to best support our elderly loved ones in their dating endeavors. Last time, we looked at certain challenges they may face. This time, let’s look at the fun they can have!
We’ve put together a list of ideal first (or second or third) dates for seniors:
1) Cut a Rug. Dancing is a great way to move around, have some fun, get close and find out if that inkling of chemistry might grow into something more. Ballrooms, senior centers, dance studios and lodges often offer group lessons. This alleviates the feeling that you need to be the master or mistress of the floor and it also helps to move the time along. This is an ideal date for those who love music and it gives you the chance to celebrate something you might have in common!
Tip for Loved Ones: Keep your eyes out for dance lessons and suggest your senior loved ones attend. Help them make sure they have the right shoes.
2) Read Into It. Love literature or poetry? Attend a reading at a local bookstore or the library, then get a coffee or other beverage afterwards, to talk about what you heard and learned. This is a great way to start a conversation and lay the groundwork for interesting dialogue into the future. If you’re really smitten, maybe even consider getting your date a signed copy of what was read, to commemorate the first date. But, maybe we don’t need to tell you how to be a romantic!
Tip for Loved Ones: If your parent or elderly loved one has a deep admiration for a certain kind of literature, encourage them to share it. Discuss literature or share poems with them, especially when they are thinking about dating—to feed their inspiration and remind them of the things they are passionate about. We all could use a little of that.
3) Destination Sunset. Who doesn’t love a good sunset? But, we all know that the most memorable sunsets mark a place or a time or a person in our lives. So, why not pack a picnic bag and go for a stroll to your favorite place to watch the sunset? Perhaps you live near the water or the beach? Perhaps you live near a nice overlook that isn’t too hard to get to? Or maybe there is a historic building with a beautiful porch looking west. Regardless, you have a destination in mind and you can walk and talk on your way there. Then, you have something to talk about afterwards or good reason to sit quietly together for a while.
Tip for Loved Ones: Help put together the picnic bag for the date, so your loved one can focus on getting themselves ready. Make a list with them, and offer to do the shopping. Include food and drink you know they love, and then a little something special. This gives them a little element of surprise too—to honor the process of discovery.
4) Lend a Helpful Hand. Chances are, there are ample fundraisers or charity events in your community. Choose one that speaks to your heart and invite your date to go with you to participate or volunteer. This is a great way to take the focus off the nerves that come with first dates and put it on activities that you find meaningful and help to express who you are.
Tip for Loved Ones: Offer to be the chauffeur for the date. That way, your loved one can focus on their date from the beginning and fill them in on what to expect, so both are comfortable when they walk in the door.
These are just a few ideas to get you going. Feel free to share other ideas with us, or your dating stories!
