THE BOYS' BRIGADE

There are certain things you discuss or talk about on a first date. You’ve got the first date jitters? Yeah, first dates can often be nerve wracking, with you trying to look your best, sound your best and come off as this amazing person for someone you don’t even know, but we’re here to help you out! Striking up a nice flowing conversation is all you’ll need to do to have a great time! And here’s how you do it!

First off, do not psyche yourself out. Sometimes we tend to put too much pressure on ourselves to reel him in with our fun banters, seductive look, flawless dating skills and whatever, which is just about as self-destructive as it gets.
Do not stress out about whether or not you’re fun enough, interesting enough, adventurous enough, amazing enough and just be yourself!
It’s pretty much the first step to do anything that involves interacting right, and it makes everything that follows come more naturally. It’s so much easier to relax and participate in the conversation if you’re not all up in your own head! Take notice of what he’s all about, what’s he saying or indicating. Be a good listener.
Now that you’ve successfully managed to stay stress free prior to your date, ’cause you know you’re awesome just the way you are, here are some ideas on what to talk about:

Small Talk

Small talk is what makes this world go round. Seriously, don’t go straight for the big guns, and have a little friendly chat about anything – the weather, the traffic, the restaurant you’re in etc. It’s a usual misconception that small talk on a date can be nothing but awkward, but it doesn’t have to be like that! As long as you don’t drag it out to the point of ridiculousness it can actually be a very nice intro to other subjects.

Compliments

Also a great ice breaker! It’s usual for a guy to give them out but they love being on the receiving end more than you might think. So why not give him a compliment, if you like his suit, or shoes or something?
The trick is to really be casual about it so it wouldn’t look like you’re only saying it to have him compliment you back, or even worse like you’re a complete material girl. Done right, complimenting your date’s style, look or something else can be real effective and set the mood for touching other interesting conversation topics.

Food

If you’re in a typical first date setting – some kind of a restaurant, ordering food can spark up a whole conversation about favorite cuisines, places etc. Talk about the exotic foods you’ve tasted while traveling? Ask him – What’s the craziest dish you’ve tried? Do you know how to cook? There are so many questions and directions you can take this without it getting boring, uncomfortable, or too much for the first date.

Traveling

Talking about food can take you into talking about traveling. Who doesn’t like to travel? Sharing fun experiences and stories can be very entertaining and, what’s more important, SO insightful!
By seeing in what places he’s been, what he did there, who was he with and all, you’ll be able to get a pretty good idea what kind of person is sitting across from you. Is he an introvert who likes soul searching and being at piece? Is he outrageous and impulsive? He likes to have fun and go all out? His travel record will tell!

Family

Relationship they have with their family is pretty much sacred to lots of people, and to them a person they’re with not being close with family can be a real deal breaker. If you’re one of those people who are very family oriented feel free to ask your date to tell you about his family.
Just know that there’s a high chance this subject can be a sore spot for him if he comes from a broken home or has some other family related issues.
If it turns out so, it’s very important for you to understand his issues and be polite. If he’s up for talking about it be a good listener and show some support. If on the other hand you see he’s getting uncomfortable try and lead the conversation in another direction.
To wrap it up, I’ll leave you with some general tips and pointers on what to (not) talk about:

• Tell him about your job but keep it light, don’t let it turn into you whining about your jerk boss, or sounding like you have no life outside your work.
• Do not speak of former relationships. Do not show resentment towards your ex. It’s a clear cut sign you’re not over it.
• Make sure you’re not talking more than you’re listening.
• Be positive and smile a lot, it’s inviting, and makes everything more pleasant.