Season's Best Dating Strategies for Suddenly Singles

The holiday season is meant to bring out the best in us all—sharing meals, hosting guests, giving gifts. These same aspects of the season can also add stress, particularly when adjusting to life as a newly single parent. The first holiday season on your own may entice you to bury yourself under a blanket with a plate of cookies straight through the first of the year. Resist the urge to hibernate and take advantage of the dating opportunities abound during the festive social season, create some new traditions, and start a few New Years' resolutions early.

1. The Gift of Matchmaking
Instead of swapping the usual assortment of books, gift certificates and baked goods with friends, propose a different kind of present exchange this year. Ask friends to arrange you a date with another single friend or search online for profiles to find your potential match. Friends who know you well can have surprisingly accurate insight to your compatible matches and can introduce you to some new and interesting people, taking away the stress of seeking out dates on your own. A date, and potential new partner, is more useful than another fruit basket any time of year.

2. Profile Makeover 101
Here's a New Years' resolution to improve your image that doesn't involve gym memberships or crash diets: revamp your online profile with a new set of photos. Visit www.DatingHeadshots.com and treat yourself to a full portfolio of profile photos. Dating Headshots' professional photographers will bring our your best looks, helping you make the strong first impression necessary in online dating. Your 2024 calendar will be booked with dates before the clock strikes midnight.

3. The True Spirit of the Season
Keep the stresses of dating and the holidays in check and volunteer —charities often rely heavily upon volunteers and donations during the holiday season. Take the lead in organizing a kid and parent holiday-themed fundraiser through your child's school, sports team or parent group. A social event—such as a dance-a-thon or gift wrapping races—will pull double duty in helping raise money for a good cause—with a side effect of easy and fun mingling with other single moms and dads.

4. Stress-Free Hosting
Take the stress out of holiday hosting and expand your social network by planning a different holiday theme party. Reach out to a diverse group of friends beyond your usual circle, asking them each to bring a dish, a drink, and—most importantly--a single friend to share. The pot-luck theme will create a relaxed atmosphere for everyone, leaving you focus on chatting with your new friends rather than replenishing the cheese tray. Suggest guests come dressed as characters from their favorite holiday movie, guaranteed to spark festive and flirty conversations.

5. Silver Lining of the Office Party
Holiday parties with your boss and co-workers can be a low point of the season: making appropriate chit-chat while carefully monitoring your alcohol intake makes for a less than festive occasion. Branch away from your cubicle-mates and mingle with unfamiliar faces, turning a night of forced socializing into a room full of potential off-the-clock dates.

The holidays only come around once a year: trade in the usual stress and dread for the abundance of social activities and opportunities for creativity. Creating new holiday traditions will usher in countless chances to revive yourself and your dating life, in time for the New Year.

By Fay Sigler for SingleParentMeet.com