Uncommon Goods makes holiday shopping stress-free and joyful with thousands of one-of-a-kind gifts you can't find anywhere else.  So shop early, have fun, and cross some names off your list today. To get 15% off your next gift, visit uncommongoods.com/datesmates (Cast Sensitive) _______________________________________ Ever meet someone you really like, but there's this invisible wall around certain topics they won't talk about? A listener named Kristen shares: "I met this guy on Hinge and we've gone out on three dates. We've talked about some personal things about family and stuff, and we have a lot of things in common. One of the things is we were both raised by single parents and one of the parents he's not as close to, and he said it's like a touchy subject for him. So I want to respect that. But I also wanna know a little bit more just to understand how they grew up and how they are as a person and all that jazz, you know?" In this episode, we explore the delicate balance between curiosity and respect, and how to navigate those closed doors in early dating. You'll hear why someone saying "it's a touchy subject" is actually valuable information and how to build trust without pushing too hard. What You'll Hear In This Episode: What "touchy subject" really means The paradox of wanting to protect yourself while giving someone space Is 3 dates, once a week the right pace for slow love? How trust gets built in tiny moments The difference between healthy boundaries and emotional unavailability How to model vulnerability in a new relationship Want to track what's working (and what's not) in your dating life? Download the free Date Tracker at damonahoffman.com/datetracker Got a relationship or dating question? DM @DamonaHoffman on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, or leave a voicemail or text at 424-246-6255 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices