Body Language Attraction Signs

Body language attraction signs can tell you a lot about where a new relationship is headed. For women: men who find you attractive will go out of their way to try to make you laugh or smile. Maybe they’ll try something outlandish to keep your attention focused on them or they might tell silly jokes to get you to giggle. For men: women will touch a man they are interested in – often -and will linger just long enough to convey their interest. Both men and women will subconsciously lean in toward the other person if they are attracted to them.

To be confident when dating, it’s important to develop the skill of interpreting subtle body language, among the other things that help to move a new relationship along. To learn more, call Barbara and Nancy at Elegant Introductions today at 305-615-1900 or contact us for more information.

Dating Someone With Children: Meeting the Kids

Dating when you (or your new love) have children from a prior relationship is much different from dating when you are the only person to consider. When kids enter the mix, a new relationship aspect is added, creating new challenges and rewards. One of the biggest worries when dating as a single mom or dad is how and when to make the children a part of the courtship.

6 Tips for Introducing Your Kids to Your New Love Interest
  1. Be sure the relationship is going somewhere before you bring the kids into the picture. That means dating your new sweetie for at least three months prior to introducing him or her to your children. There is no reason for your kids to meet every person you date – it can be confusing for them, as well as upsetting if they start to form attachments only to have the person drop out of the picture after a short time.
  2. When dating someone with children, casual is the word when it comes to the first few meetings between the children and the new partner. Introduce him or her as a friend at first. Don’t have expectations and don’t push the kids to like this new person right from the start. It takes time to adjust to someone new and you’ll only hinder the process if you (or your sweetheart) force the children into something they aren’t ready for.
  3. Continuing the line of thinking that the first few meetings should be casual, plan these introductory outings to be something the kids want to do. Remember that it is a “kids date” when your children go out with you and your new love interest, not an adult date! Take them to play putt-putt golf, go to a movie, or plan a group function where your sweetheart interacts with the children in an informal way from within the group. A no-pressure setting could be a pool party or bowling party, for example.
  4. Dial back the affection you show in front of the children for first few times they see him or her. In the beginning, there should be no hand-holding or kissing in front of them. Take things slowly so the kids aren’t threatened and have time to adjust to this new person in their lives.
  5. Check with the children to see how they are feeling about this new person after they’ve had a few casual meetings with him or her (and these meetings should be spaced at least a couple of weeks apart so you aren’t rushing the kids). That way, you can address issues before they get out of hand and you can slow down (or speed) up the inclusion of your new love in outings with them.
  6. Be sure the kids know they only have one mother and one father – in other words, they should see your new sweetheart as a friend or someone they can turn to for advice, but not as a replacement for their other parent. Along that same line, talk to your new partner and let them know that they should not jump right in and try to parent your kids (that is something to address when the relationship seems like it is becoming a permanent one).

The big takeaway from all of this is to go slowly. First, be certain he or she is even ready to meet your kids before you introduce each other. Next, give the children and your new love time to form bonds without pressure. Both of you should take your cues from the children – be patient and let them warm up to your sweetheart instead of forcing interactions and pushing them all together. You may be so delighted with this new person that you want everyone to be one big happy family, but time, patience, and respect for everyone involved will help ensure success!

Have Questions? Need Help?

Children from a prior relationship will change the dynamics of a new dating connection.  Don’t panic! We offer life coaching services designed to help you navigate through the dating questions in every stage of a new relationship. For more information, call Nancy and Barbara at Elegant Introductions in South Florida at 305-615-1900 or contact us today.

Dating as a Single Mom

Dating when you have children from a prior relationship can be challenging, but taking it slow helps everyone get acclimated to the new people in their lives. Important: when dating as a single mom, you should wait at least three months before introducing your new love interest to your kids. Why? Because, if you have them meet every person you date, you’ll only confuse them. Additionally, it can be emotionally difficult for the kids if they begin to form attachments to the new person only to have him or her drop out of their lives if things don’t work out between you two. Be patient – once it looks like you and your new sweetheart might have a future together, that’s the time to discuss how and when to have them meet your children.

The matchmakers at Elegant Introductions offer coaching services to help with every phase of dating, including ways to help with introducing your new love to your children. Call Nancy and Barbara today at 305-615-1900 or contact us for more information.

Tips on How to Dress for a Date

Are you going on a first date and wondering what to wear? The answer isn’t as easy as you might think! Do you know where you are going and what you will be doing on the date? If so, that takes a little of the pressure off, although you still need to figure out how to dress attractively, but without looking too flashy or like you tried too hard.

When trying to figure out how to dress for a date, the matchmakers at Elegant Introductions first suggest dressing comfortably. If you know you will be at a more casual, daytime event, women can wear dressy jeans or dark pants with a blazer or a pretty, loose-fitting skirt or cotton dress. Men should wear darker jeans and leave the day-to-day super-casual jeans at home, plus they could dress up their jeans with a jacket. For a dinner date, find out how casual or fancy the restaurant is, first. Women can’t go wrong by wearing a print dress and heels and men will definitely want to wear a jacket unless the restaurant is very casual.

Our life coaching services can help you get comfortable with every aspect of dating – from how to dress for a date to how to propose! For more information, visit Nancy and Barbara at Elegant Introductions at 305-615-1900 or contact us today.

Improving Listening Skills

Do you ever find that you are the one person in the room who is doing the most talking? Chances are that when you do this you are nervous, but it doesn’t endear you to others. When you listen more and talk less, you show people that you care enough about them to really hear what they say instead of just trying to frame a reply. Keep in mind that silence is OK – it gives people a chance to think about what has been said. Think before you speak so that what you say is relevant and not just babble.

Elegant Introductions offers life coaching services to help with improving listening skills so you can be more successful in a romantic (or professional) relationship.  Call Barbara and Nancy today at 305-615-1900 or contact us for more information.

Step Parenting: Talk About Expectations

Step parenting can be challenging, but there are ways to blend families with children from prior relationships so that the process is easier. Very important: the new couple should talk about their expectations of both family life and their individual roles within the new family. Most people never take the time to do this before marriage! By discussing where you each see the new step parent within the family unit, how you and they expect to interact with the children, and what role the new step parent will play concerning discipline, among other issues,  couples can set up healthy systems and ways of dealing with matters before problems develop.

Elegant Introductions offers their clients relationship and life coaching services to help blended families. Call Barbara and Nancy today at 305-615-1900 or contact us for more information.

Communications Problems in Relationships

When you are in the midst of an argument, it can be really hard to take a step back and listen without interruption. But, statistics tell us that misunderstandings often result from interruptions before a person has had a chance to fully communicate what they are trying to tell you. We think at about 1,000-3,000 words per minute but only hear at a rate of about 125-250 words per minute. If you are having communications problems in relationships (either personal and professional) perhaps it’s time to talk less and listen more!

Our life coaching services can help you learn to communicate more effectively within a relationship. For more information, visit Nancy and Barbara at Elegant Introductions at 305-615-1900 or contact us today.

Dating Tip: Stress Management Techniques

Don’t you hate it when you are on a date and are feeling nervous? One of the stress management techniques that can help is if you take a quick minute to close your eyes and do some positive visualization. “See” the date going well and envision you and your date laughing and enjoying yourselves. This simple act will help calm your nerves and give you a good chance of having fun.

Elegant Introductions offers matchmaking services designed to help you know as much as possible about your date before it even happens, so you can feel at ease right away. Let our expert matchmakers help you find The One! Call us 305-615-1900 or contact us for more information.

Blended Family Obstacles

Are you blending step families? This can be a source of conflict from a surprising corner – the prior in-laws! Maybe they are close to your ex-spouse and still feel some loyalty to him or her or perhaps they aren’t giving your new love a chance to prove themselves. Either way, exercise patience. It take time for new relationships to form into bonds. By not reacting to their words or behavior, your new partner can slowly create different experiences with your family and open new lines of communication.

A blended family can take a lot of work, but life coaching from Elegant Introductions can help ensure you’re making the transition as easily as possible! For more information, call Nancy and Barbara today at 305-615-1900 or contact us for more information.

Talk Less, Listen More

In personal relationships, as well as in life, most people listen to others with an intent to respond, not with a focus on really listening to what the other person has to say. This is often the area where relationships fail – because people aren’t “hearing” what the other person is telling them! One way to solve communication problems in relationships is to talk less, listen more while the other person is speaking so that you hear not only their words, but also their underlying tone. This way you can also see their gestures and expressions because nonverbal communication often tells you more than words can. Effective listening builds trust and can help strengthen a relationship.

If you find that you are having troubles in your personal and professional relationships, you might find that improving your listening skills will help. We offer life coaching services that can strengthen these skills. To learn more, call Barbara and Nancy at Elegant Introductions today at 305-615-1900 or contact us for more information.