Our favorite pros and cons on dating during and after divorce || Divorce Devil Podcast #153 || David and Rachel

David and Rachel are the hosts of the Divorced Devil Podcast, a show that provides a humorous and honest take on divorce recovery. They share their own experiences and insights to help others navigate the challenges of divorce and find healing.

In this episode of the Divorced Devil Podcast, David and Rachel discuss the pros and cons of dating during and after divorce. They emphasize the importance of being ready before entering the dating scene and caution against rushing into new relationships. They also highlight the need to set boundaries and prioritize the well-being of children involved. The hosts share personal anecdotes and offer advice on navigating the complexities of dating after divorce.

**Key Takeaways:**

- It's important to be ready before entering the dating scene after divorce.

- Dating can provide new experiences and boost confidence.

- Setting boundaries and prioritizing children's needs is crucial.

- Emotional volatility and comparing new partners to exes can be challenges.

- Physical intimacy can be both exciting and awkward after divorce.

**Quotes:**

- "Dating can be a way to experience new things and boost your confidence." - Rachel

- "Setting boundaries is important for your own protection and well-being." - David

- "Don't repeat history, be open to new experiences and people." - Rachel
 

Here are 10 pros and cons of dating after divorce:

Pros

1. New Experiences - You can have the excitement of getting to know new people and trying new activities and restaurants with a new partner.

2. Companionship - Having someone to spend time with and confide in can ease the loneliness after being single again post-divorce.

3. Personal Growth - Entering the dating world helps you discover more about your interests, priorities, and preferences as your own independent person.

4. Confidence Boost - The interest, flattery, and companionship helps rebuild your confidence in yourself as an attractive, interesting person.

5. Physical Intimacy - Dating can lead to satisfying some of those physical and emotional intimacy needs that you missed while going through separation.

Cons

1. Comparison Tendencies - It's hard to avoid comparing new dates and partners to your ex which may unintentionally sabotage relationships.  

2. Emotional Volatility - Still healing from divorce, dating can reignite hurt, anger, insecurity and amplify emotional volatility as you continue processing the divorce.

3. Less Patience - Having gone through divorce you may have less tolerance or patience for working through normal relationship challenges.

4. Baggage and Trust Issues - It’s common to still be carrying distrust, jealousy or other unresolved baggage from your marriage into dating life.  

5. Scheduling Pressures - Juggling your own parenting commitments plus dating itself can mean very complicated scheduling equations to see someone new.

6. Family Adjustment - Your excitement over new partners has to be balanced with how this impacts your children and custody arrangements.

7. Financial Pressures - Alimony, child support or splitting assets can mean less discretionary income for dating activities.

8. Ex Comparisons - A new partner may trigger comparisons to positives of your ex at first rather than themselves.

9. Repeat History - Without enough self-work, you may fall into dynamics of dysfunction again out of habit.  

10. Time Management - Making time for dating itself on top of other life commitments can be draining.