We all know that senior dating can be challenging, especially around the holiday season.
Are you a bit older and single? Have you wondered what it would be like to date again?
Along with the cold temperatures, Christmas carols and cards in the mail come concerns about senior dating and how it works (or doesn’t work) during the holidays.
Is it okay to bring your new partner to a family Christmas party? How should you split time between your family, friends and new dating partner?
In this article we will discuss how to overcome some of the challenges of dating after you turn sixty during Christmas time.
It is normal to feel lonely during the holiday season
When you are single, it’s only natural to feel a little down when the holidays roll around. Christmas is advertised through the TV and throughout society as a holiday that basks in time spent with family and loved ones.
Couple young and old alike accompanying each other to check out Christmas lights. Spouses spend the days making sure everything is perfect for their children, families, and each other.
But tidings of comfort and joy can feel more like tidings of sorrow and loneliness when you don’t have a significant other to walk with you through this magical time of year. Humans were created for each other, after all. It makes sense that the holidays can feel less cherry if we don’t have someone to share this season with.
3 Reasons why you should consider senior dating
Regardless of the advice that you’ve been given from well intentioned family and friends, senior dating can be invigorating and life altering!
Many people who have ventured back into the world of dating after being single for some time have reported feeling younger and happier than they have in years!
You’ll feel young again
When you’re single after sixty, it can be easy to fall into the rut of constantly focusing on the past. The important thing to remind yourself is that you can have a whole new life ahead of you if you open your heart to it!
Getting to know someone and grow with them at this stage in your life can be an incredible experience.
Senior dating will be different from everything else
Chances are that if you’re over sixty and single, your life has taken on a very specific shape. You probably have a schedule that doesn’t differ much from week to week and may even seem mundane at times.
The great thing about beginning to date again is that it will be different than anything else you are currently doing or tied to. Senior dating will bring feelings of excitement and open your world to new ideas and possibilities.
You may find yourself venturing to places you never thought you’d go or being a part of things or groups that weren’t on your radar before. Senior dating can be magical because it can allow you to say yes to and take chances on things you may not have been open to in your youth.
Senior dating can re-energize you
Seniors who date after sixty constantly report this surge in energy they have. My sister-in-law (a divorcee in her forties) was speaking to a seventy year old friend at her church last week about their relationships.
Her friend asked if she was dating and she confirmed that she was. Her seventy year old friend then exclaimed, “Oh isn’t it wonderful! I feel like a teenager all over again!”
The butterflies you experience in a relationship are not just reserved for men or women in their youth. Those who give senior dating a try will tell you time and time again that they get just as giddy now as they did when they were in their teens or twenties!
When you feel excited and hopeful, it really boosts your energy. Instead of wanting to spend every evening at home, you suddenly want to be out and about and doing things with not only your new partner, but everyone else as well!
The holiday season is a great time to find a new partner
In some ways, the holiday season can take out a big chunk of the legwork for you when it comes to dating. Instead of having to set up blind dates or online forums, you can make your way from house to house and meet all new kinds of people.
Christmas parties and holiday gatherings fill the winter months and give you the perfect opportunity to mingle with friends and friends of friends who may just lead you to the person who you’ll click with.
The holidays are often full of hope, and people relax a little and let their guards down when feeling hopeful. They are also a time for yearning to be with friends and family, which can inspire singles, especially seniors, to find someone to share that special holiday joy with.
What about the challenges of senior dating during the holidays?
While senior dating around the holidays can be fun and exciting, it can also bring its own set of challenges.
Balance between family and dating during the holidays
When you find someone new and interesting to spend your days with, it can be hard to know exactly how to balance your time between them and your family.
It’s expected that Christmas is a season in which you spend a large portion of time with your family. But you may not want to leave your partner behind. If you do, may find yourself thinking about them constantly instead of enjoying time with family.
Figuring out when to bring your new significant other to family gatherings
Whether or not you should bring your significant other to family gatherings will depend on a couple of factors.
How does your family feel about your new partner? Have you discussed it with them and if so, what was their response?
If your family isn’t comfortable with “outsiders” coming over, you may want to strike up a compromise where you go to the gathering without your partner. But you may decide to leave early so that you can spend time with them as well.
Secondly, how does your significant other feel about going to your family get together?
Especially for those who have just started dating, there can be a lot of pressure and anxiety about meeting and spending time with the family of their partner. They may prefer to spend time with you separately from your relatives.
Make sure that both your family and significant other are both comfortable with whichever situation works best for you.
How to speak about your new partner with your adult children
Every family is different and every child will respond differently to the news of their parent dating someone new. If you’re giving senior dating a try, it can take a while for your adult children to get used to.
The important thing is to take in consideration their feelings when you talk to them about your new partner.
Give your children the opportunity to meet your new significant other and to talk with you about their thoughts or concerns. It is important to validate their feelings, which ultimately translate to them caring about you. But it’s just as important for you to explain to them how happy you are in your new relationship.
Wondering what to do if your family doesn’t approve of senior dating
Sometimes despite of your efforts, your family won’t approve of your relationship. If this is your case, it’s important for you to set very clear and concise boundaries.
You would hope that family will always want the best for you and to see you happy. But sometimes they can’t let go of the past or can’t move on from who they know you to be without the new person in your life.
Regardless of why they don’t approve, you will have to explain to them that this is ultimately your life to live and that you are happy and hope that they will come around eventually.
This may mean that the holidays will be a little strained and that you’ll be attending family functions solo for the sake of family peace, but hopefully in time your relatives and loved ones will come to see how much your new relationship means to you.
How can you find single people who share your values and faith?
In a world so diverse at every corner of every city, how do you find someone that will share the same values and faith as you?
Word of mouth, friends recommending friends, church groups, and book clubs are all good ways to meet and greet people and find out if they share your beliefs and interests.
In this day and age the internet is a fantastic place to find people who think and believe similarly to you. Dating sites are geared toward people of all ages and all walks of life.
What is the best senior dating website to find single people?
If you’re looking for the best senior dating website to find single people, you’ve come to the right place. Catholic Singles focuses on faith based dating and matching people who live and think similarly to themselves.
The largest Catholic dating site in the world, thousands of Catholics have found their spouses through Catholic Singles. You’ll find testimony after testimony on our website of happy couples who will encourage you to do the same.
Why should you become a Catholic Singles member?
If you’re interested in senior dating, you most likely know what you do and do not want in a partner. The great thing about Catholic Singles is that the members are people who are genuinely Catholic, good, wholesome people.
By joining this phenomenal faith focused community, you’ll be welcomed into a group of people who are eagerly waiting to befriend and support you in your journey of this next portion of your life.
Should you date around the holidays or not?
We’ve laid out the evidence here and the conclusion seems clear. Dating around the holidays, especially if you are a single senior, is a definite go!
This is indeed the most wonderful time of the year to give senior dating a try. Allow yourself to embrace this season and all the opportunities with open arms!
