Are you ready to be exclusive? Do you even want to be exclusive? What is exclusivity?

Forty-plus dating can be complicated as the terms may have changed since you were last on the dating scene. So, to clarify some of the terms we are chatting about them here, on 121seniordating.com.

Forty-plus dating or seeing each other are terms that are used when two people are romantically meeting on a regular basis and may be intimate. There are so many different relationship stages now, and so many ways to define a relationship, that things can get muddled easily. So, agreeing to become exclusive must be a joint decision and both forty plus daters must be clear about what it means, as it is the most meaningful and often binding part of a relationship that is not including marriage.

Being exclusive means that two daters have an agreement that they are true to their relationship, with each other and that neither of them are pursuing other partners or dates for a casual hook-up. Going exclusive is a commitment that is only surpassed by marriage. This doesn’t mean that you’re automatically in an intimate relationship and the use of terms like boyfriend or girlfriend are also part of the conversation about exclusivity needs to be mutually agreed and the meaning has to be the same for both forty plus daters. Many forty-plus daters use the term partners and again this term is one that needs to be mutually agreed between the two of you.

Not every dater feels the need to define their relationship. We all agree that the conversation about being exclusive is a brave one to have, however it is really the only way you can really find out where you stand and how serious your forty plus date is about the relationship. There is no point in rushing it, however after several months of dating you should know each other well enough to start the subject in a comfortable manner. If you are not comfortable then perhaps you are not couple material anyway. It’s always better to ask rather than assume, as not knowing can lead to misunderstanding and heart break. If they don’t feel the same, then you can choose to continue pursuing a casual dating relationship or end things and find a forty-plus date who does want the same things as you, in terms of a relationship commitment. So, making things open and honest can avoid a great deal of heartbreak down the line.

When you decide to be exclusive with your dating partner it is important to be honest about what that means to you both, so you both abide by the same rules and ideals and treat one another with respect.