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9 signs hes leading you on
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You are head over heels, but is he? - photo by Emily Cummings
Whether youve had your suspicions for a while or its a new theory, you need to know if your man is leading you on. Not only is it unfair to you, but it is a complete waste of your time. If he is not willing to commit to a relationship and stop playing games, then he is not worth dating. Pay attention to these nine signs to see if your mister is leading you on:

1. He doesnt really know you

Conversations are very superficial. You dont get many heart-to-heart conversations, because hes not invested in really getting to know you. He might forget details youve told him a thousand times and asks you the same questions again and again because he isnt really listening to what you say.

2. You call him more

In any relationship that is just starting, usually one person is more interested than the other. And thats okay, for a while. If youve been seeing each other for a while and you still are the person who is always calling, texting or setting up dates, thats not a good sign. He likes chatting with you and occasionally spending time with you, but hes not interested enough to initiate it himself.

3. Theres no planning for the future

If you notice hes not one to suggest future plans, pay attention. If you really care about someone, little things like well have to do that next fall or lets plan on seeing that movie together just slip out of your mouth without a second thought.

4. You dont see his family

Serious relationships tend to involve more people. You want everyone you know to meet your boyfriend or girlfriend, that includes friends, roommates, coworkers, family members and the guy at the smoothie place who knows you so well. Pay attention to who you know in his social circle. Are you meeting casual acquaintances? Have you met any of his family members? If you havent gotten to know the people around him, he doesnt see you being a part of his life in the long run.

5. He cancels a lot

Even the busiest people can make room for someone they love. If week after week he cant seem to find an hour in his schedule to meet for lunch, he is not into you. Hes just leading you on.

6. He wont get to know your friends or family

You are really into this relationship and want everyone to know about it. While some men can be shy when meeting the parents or other family members, refusing point-blank to ever go out to lunch with you and your sister is a red flag. In a loving relationship, you want to know the people your love cares about. If thats missing, so is his affection.

7. He is hot and cold

Some days he seems distracted and distant, but all of a sudden can be very sweet and flirtatious. Everyone has days that are stressful, but if he is constantly unpredictable, thats not a good sign. His behavior is a red flag to you that he is just stringing you along. When he can sense that you are suspicious, hell put a little more effort to keep you around.

8. You only group date

Forget personal and romantic one-on-one dates with someone who is leading you on. Because hes not truly invested in the relationship, hell have you hang out in a group setting and count that as a date.

9. Things arent progressing

Have you been in the same relationship for months now? Things should naturally progress and get more serious as time goes on, unless hes keeping things stagnate.

Its difficult to realize that someone you love is just leading you on, but being blind to the signs doesnt do you any favors. Talk to close friends and family about your situation and trust your gut.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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