POP006 - Is this the new babysitter? Single parenting and midlife dating
By the time we get to midlife, many of us have fallen into one of two camps - the 'have kids' and the 'have nots'. So how do both sides navigate midlife dating? What are the experiences and challenges of single parents trying to date midlife and what are the experience and perspectives of those who don't have children and are dating single parents? We look at single parenting from multiple perspectives including broadening out the definition of parenting beyond the traditional view of being a 'biological' parent. This is also the final episode of the season and the takeaway message for the whole season is not one that Anita was expecting to arrive at...
--------
50:36
POP005 - Infectious love. Dating during the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 Pandemic has thrown our lives into turmoil, including our traditional ways of dating midlife. However humans are incredibly adaptable, resilient and our need for human connection and intimacy does not vanish just because a life threatening virus has emerged on the global scene. This episode hears stories of the impact of COVID-19 on midlife dating including the positive and negative impact of the intensity of lockdown, our social responsibility to those around us when dating, the risks associated with seemingly simple acts such as touching, navigating the world of zoom dating and the grief associated with the reduced possibility of 'in real life' love when you are keeping 1.5m away from people in a surgical mask. Yet the human spirit, need for connection and intimacy, and love and desire continues to live on.
--------
39:51
POP004 - I'm not racist but...
If there was ever a clear takeaway from this podcast episode regarding midlife dating, it is three simple words - Race Does Matter. As a woman of colour, I have always suspected that my race played a role in my dating prospects, and this was confirmed through the frank stories shared in this podcast. From honest accounts of racial preferences to discussions about stereotypical assumptions and fetishisation, this podcast reveals that race is relevant to all aspects of our lives, and our dating lives are not immune. Yet we all have unconscious bias and it is important that we ask questions and test our assumptions....just maybe not during the opening conversation when we match or meet with someone!. This podcast episode was recorded during the weeks of the Black Lives Matter rallies and protests after the death of George Floyd and highlights how important it is that we question racial bias in all aspects of our lives. To join the Piece of the Puzzle Podcast community, you can like us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
--------
35:32
POP003 - Boo! The Act of Ghosting
Ghosting. The practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly, and without explanation, disappearing from all communication. This term is most often utilised in the context of online dating. Many of us midlife daters have both been ghosted and have ghosted someone who we just no longer want to communicate with. But why do we do it? And what is the impact on those who have been ghosted? We hear people's stories and finish with the story of someone who was ghosted in a pretty humiliating way but went on to find a relationship through an online dating site.
--------
22:18
POP002 - Should I swipe left or right?
The decision to swipe left or right on someone's online dating profile can be a decision we make within a few seconds. Within those few seconds we are making a series of micro judgments based on people's profile pictures and descriptions about whether this person is compatible. So what are some of the factors behind whether someone swipes left or right, and what are the value judgments underpinning that decision? We finish with a success story of someone who rediscovered who they were through online dating after the breakdown of her marriage.
Unlocking the mysteries of midlife (30 to 50 year olds) dating through real-life stories to give hope and share learnings.Join a fellow midlife dater on the path to finding love, your host Anita, as she takes you on an authentic, relatable and humorous journey looking at midlife dating. Midlife dating can be beautiful, painful, funny, excruciating and inspiring. It can lead to the holy grail of a soulmate relationship but rarely without an interesting story along the way. This podcast focuses on everyday people’s stories – both the success stories and nightmare dates from hell – and teaches us that even the most disastrous stories can lead to us to important lessons in life and reminds us that we are not alone. Some of the questions we explore in the podcast– what is stopping people from online dating? What makes someone swipe left or right? What are the deal breakers when dating in midlife? Is there a strategy to success? What is ghosting and why do people do it? This podcast explores the everyday and the extraordinary moments of midlife dating, seeks to normalise the issues that arise, reduce the stigma of being single in midlife and support people who are on the sometimes difficult, sometimes beautiful journey to finding midlife love.
France