Don’t raise your eyebrows….Dating multiple people is more common than you think and it’s not skanky if you’re doing it right. After all, you might need to date a few people before you find “The One” right? The whole point of casual dating is to meet new people and may be somewhere along the way you’ll find someone who’s boyfriend/girlfriend or even life partner material.

Dating Multiple People

Here are some tips that might help:

• Should you tell the people you’re dating that you’re seeing other people too? Hmmm…tricky one. I don’t think you need to put it out there immediately on the first date but at some point it should become obvious if you’re not intending to be exclusive. But, DO NOT LIE. If your date asks you about exclusivity, cut out the hemming and hawing and tell them the truth. If someone’s not okay with it, you probably shouldn’t be breaking their heart.

• One of the basic rules of dating multiple people is to date people who will never run into each other and aren’t connected in any way. So dating two people from work is out of the question. But you could date someone you met online and that friend of a friend you met at the party.

• If you’re dating more than one person, it doesn’t take a scientist to figure out you’re not in love.  So do not; I repeat DO NOT throw “love” into the mix just to get someone to date you. It’s not cool to lead someone into believing you’re in love with them, while you’re dating two other people as well!

• This again is much debated about. A lot of people say it’s okay to sleep with a few different people at the same time as part of the “getting-to-know-each-other” process. However, I personally think the moment sex becomes part of the equation; things get a little more complicated. Exclusivity is expected by most at this point and fair enough!

• Even if you both know you’re dating other people, it’s only good manners to keep it personal. You should never discuss your other dates with each other – no matter how good or ugly. Apart from the unethical factor, mentioning how fabulous your other date is could make this date feel they’re not as good, and sometimes create jealousy too.

• Never tell someone you’re in love with them if you’re not and never commit to being exclusive if you have no intentions of doing so. Also, if you can sense that your date is getting a little too keen on becoming exclusive, don’t encourage it unless you want to. Be tuned into your date’s needs as well. If you’re happy staying casual and they’re planning a wedding…you might need to check you’re both on the same page!

• Strangely enough, dating multiple people is most acceptable on online dating sites. You sign up, look around and chat with five (or 50) different people. People know you’re online to connect with someone, and it is perfectly acceptable to “online date” more than one person until you know who’s right for you.

Whether you’ve just come out of a long-term relationship or simply aren’t ready to commit yet, dating multiple people at the same time may not be so bad. The basic rule to keep in mind: don’t break someone else’s heart. Play the field all you want, but if they don’t want to…you know what to do.