Despite the fact their style is often out of whack, you have to speak super loudly around them, and they have to eat dinner at 5:30 PM, I have news for you: Grandmothers are cool. So why not bring yours along on a first date? No, seriously. Here’s why you should:

1. Fun/ny Barometer: Suggesting a date with your grandmother (“How about we… check out Bingo night. With my Grandma.”) is definitely not the norm. Anyone willing to go along with this idea will be game for a good time and possibly some laughs. That’s, as grams may say, “a keeper.”

Related: 5 Reasons My Mom Wishes I Had a Boyfriend
2. Mr./Ms. Softee: You immediately show your potential mate that you care about family, the elderly and about life. And, you’ll be one step ahead on the old-fashioned rule of meeting someone you can “bring home to mom.”

3. Ain’t Misbehavin’: Unless you have some weird relationship with your gam-gam, you are probably on your best behavior when you’re around her. This bodes well for keeping the date kosher; your libido (and your date’s) will be in-check the whole time. So, with that off the table, you can relax and be yourself — your best self. (And you’ll be inadvertently building sexual tension for date two.)

Related: What Would Grandma Say About Your Sex Life?
4. “Gimme My Change-Purse”: You know your grandma always gives you a birthday or Christmas card with some cash inside. So, that blue-plate special or matinee movie ticket may just be “her treat.” Here’s your chance to appear quite the generous grandchild when you lay down your Diner’s Club card and insist on paying for all three of you.

5. She’ll Make an (Adorable) Ass Out of You: With old Sassy Say-What-She-Wants (even if it’s slightly racist) around, the onus on putting your own foot in your mouth is off of you. Your date (if it works out) is going to hear embarrassing stories about you eventually, so why not get them out of the way? Trust me, what’s painful or shaming to you will be cute and endearing to them.

6. ‘Escape’ Goat: So, if things don’t go so well (it is a first date — it HAS happened), you don’t have to have a friend call you with the everyone-knows-it’s-a-fake-call reason to leave. Your best reason is sitting right there next to you, adjusting her hearing aid. And if you and your grandmother have shared a number of eye rolls already, she may cut it short herself. (She’s getting up in years, she doesn’t have time to waste.) Then you both can catch a Golden Girls rerun.

Related: Dating Advice from the Golden Girls
7. Sweetener: It’s really too sweet a deal to pass up. What girl/guy is going to say no to a second date with you (and potential “alone” time)? I’ll tell you who, someone you don’t WANT a second date with, that’s who.

Related: Four Things to Never Talk About On a First Date and Other Date Etiquette from Emily Post’s Great Granddaughter
Ernio Hernandez is a Leo and likes long walks on the beach (minus the walking). He is a lover (and a writer) of pop culture, arts & entertainment and social media. Follow him: at ernio.com, @ernio on Twitter and mashismo.tumblr.com – just not into the bathroom.

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