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Gettyimages.com/High angle shot of an affectionate couple on a date in a cafe

What do you talk about on a first date? You probably go over topics like what the other person does for a living, what he likes to do for fun, how long has he lived in the city, does he have siblings, where are those siblings, what about the parents, what do the parents do? That last topic can be a bit of a sticking point if you don’t talk to your parents. Or, perhaps, even to most of your family. I actually have a few friends who have cut ties with their parents and I’m going to tell you right now: they were right to do so. They weren’t just being temperamental or dramatic. Their parents actually posed threats to their wellbeing. They were abusive, they were addicts, they had debilitating mood disorders they wouldn’t seek help for, and they actually did things that put my friends’ safety at risk. So, my friends really didn’t have a choice. But they have told me how uncomfortable it can be to explain to people they date that they don’t talk to their parents. Here’s how cutting ties with your family affects your dating life.

Corbis

It always comes up on first dates

It would be nice to conceal the information until you actually know if things are going somewhere with this person, but that’s not really an option. The topic of family always comes up on a first date, and if you like the person, you can’t tell them you’d like to change the subject—then it sounds like you’re hiding something.

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