So, you want to know, how to date safely online. There are certain precautions you must make to insure your safety.

You’ve "met" someone online and would like to know them better. So, what’s next?

There is only a limited amount of information you can find out, just typing back and forth. At a certain point, you will need to talk by phone. A person can hide a lot of things behind a monitor, but the voice will tell you much more! When you hear the voice, you can feel the gentleness and the strength. Are they loud and boisterous? Is the majority of their vocabulary curse words? Listen closely to the background noise for a feel of their living environment. Do they eat and smack while talking to you? Do they cover the receiver and scream at the children and pets? That says a lot!

Eventually, it will be time to have that first phone conversation, I use a prepaid calling card. Calling card rates are usually one to two cents per minute! Don’t get so excited, there are a lot of hidden charges. You spend $10.00 thinking you have 1,000 minutes...right? Wrong. Most cards charge a .49 connection charge (for each call), a weekly non-usage fee, the minutes are rounded up, and a host of other charges. But, it’s still a deal. The best part is, it protects your privacy. Even if you call from your home phone, it will not show up on your new friend’s caller I.D. And if they try to *69 to retrieve the phone #? They will hear a recorded message: "You are returning a call to a pre-paid calling service. The party you are trying to reach cannot be reached at this number."

Once you feel comfortable to meet your new friend:

1. Make it a public place of your choice.

2. Make the plans yourself, and in advance. Gave a close friend or family member your location and your plans. Agree upon a time for them to call and check on you.

3. Use your own transportation.

4. Do not introduce him/her to your children, not even over the phone.

If you take this useful advice on how to date safely online, you will be in control. It is your responsibility to protect yourself, your privacy and most of all if you are a single parent, you must protect your children!