Midlife Dating Chronicles, Episode Nine: Texting Etiquette for the Midlife Dater
Texting in your 20s was simple. You fired off messages like confetti. You didn’t worry about tone, timing, or whether your thumbs would cramp. Midlife texting? It’s a refined art form—equal parts communication, restraint, and making sure autocorrect doesn’t turn “I had a lovely time” into “I had a lonely thyme.” Here’s your guide to doing it well. 1. The “Reasonable Response Time” Principle In your 20s, you texted back instantly. In midlife, you text back when: You’ve finished your coffee You’ve found your glasses You’ve remembered where you put your phone You’ve reread the message three times to interpret tone A reasonable response time is anywhere between 10 minutes and 10 hours. This is normal. This is healthy. This is adulthood. 2. The Over‑Texting Trap Midlife daters don’t need a play‑by‑play of your day. Avoid sending: “Good morning” “Good afternoon” “How’s your day” “What are you doing now” “Still there” “Hello” “???” This is not communicati...