Multi-dating - how many dates?

[guineacup]

This isn't a TAAT, but I admit is inspired by it.

For those of you who are OLD, how many dates would you expect to go on before deciding to focus on someone alone? For me, date 3 has been the point... I knew enough by that stage to know if I wanted it continue into a budding relationship, and would generally make it clear on or after date 3 if that's how I felt. Luckily that's always been reciprocated for me... but I suppose if things aren't to progress, you generally know by dates 1 or 2.

Although i did string a couple of dates along when I much, much younger, I couldn't imagine still multi-dating at date 5 or 6!

With my DP, I cancelled all dates planned with others after our first meeting as I wasn't interested anymore. I just wanted to see how things went with him. The other blokes were very nice, we just didn't have anything like as much of a connection or common ground. If it hadn't been such an instant spark then I'd say 2 or 3 ish.

Personally my absolute boundary was that I would establish exclusivity before sex if it was someone I liked enough to potentially try and make a go of things with. Better that and not be worrying whether you're on the same page.

I'm generally very decisive, not many make it past the first date, I rarely find more than a match at a time I'd want to date, but if I did, I would definitely know by date 3 if just wanted to concentrate and be exclusive with them.