Grandma’s 6 Old School Dating Rules Will Make You Wish You Lived Back-In-The-Day

Along with technology and communication, dating has vastly changed in the last several decades. With these changes, the dating world has been turned on its head. Tinder, Match, eHarmony, the list goes on and on. It makes some of us pine for the days when dating was more of an art rather than the mad dash it is now.

Obviously, society has progressed in many positive ways in the last few decades, but part of us wonders what it might be like if we went back to these six simple rules for dating.

Grandmother knows best, including who you should spend your romantic time with. These six old-school dating rules, as told by a grandmother, will make you wish you lived back-in-the-day, and we don’t blame you.

1. Don’t be too available.

Better yet, don’t act desperate. If you already have plans for Saturday and someone asks you out on Saturday, don’t rush and flake on them. In a world where we are constantly accessible via social media, how do we even comprehend the concept of availability? There are still ways to make yourself difficult to reach. Don’t spend so much time on Facebook. Don’t readily respond to every single text if it’s going too much out of your way. Turn off your phone when you go to sleep. In a world of “Netflix and Chill,” sometimes it’s best to just “chill.”

2. Take offense to offensive things.

If someone hurts your feelings, that should always be a red flag. If someone doesn’t respect your time, space or emotional boundaries, then they won’t respect you. In our modern world, we are a bit more forgiving of rude behaviors. Think this behavior will change as the relationship progresses? Odds are it won’t.

3. Respect the opinion of the community.

One of the biggest changes in the modern dating world is the lack of influence of the suitors’ families. Independence in dating isn’t always a good thing. Love is a fickle emotion. It can blind you from the opinions of your loved ones and closest friends. Back in the day, families would often congregate and discuss the compatibility of not just their family members, but the families themselves.

Asking your family what they really think about your significant other can go a long way. You don’t need the approval of everyone, but make sure that it’s going to be a good match overall.

4. Consider the family of origin.

You are going to be spending holidays, birthdays and long weekends with your SO’s family, you might as well make sure you can tolerate them at the very least. Hating his or her family will only lead to stress and strain on your relationship. It’s not a crime to actually love a family that isn’t your own. If you aren’t getting along with the family, it may be a sign that things just aren’t going to work out.

Again, if it causes external strain on the relationship, it’s going to cause problems down the road.

5. Factor in the practical bits.

Does your partner have a job that will require them to move at least once a year? Do they have student loans? Getting married for convenience’s sake is never a good idea, but you still should factor in whether or not the practical side of things is going to stand in the way of you and true happiness.

Money can’t buy love, but it can certainly taint it.

6. Do nice things for each other.

This one is self explanatory. Do they like a certain actor or sports team? Surprise them with tickets to a movie or game. Are they working their tail off on a work project? Jet out of work an hour early if you can and fix them an amazing dinner. Offer to pick up the dinner tab instead of splitting it. Buy them flowers. Get their car washed for them. Something like that can make someone’s week.

You don’t have to dress like Grandma or Grandpa, but acting like them in the dating game might actually do you some good! Why not give it a shot?

Happy dating!