When you became parents, you signed up for a life that mostly involves caring for your children and spending time with them. It doesn’t mean though that you are in some way bad if you want to spend some time together as a couple.
Many couples benefit from what are known as date nights and see them as a chance to recharge the batteries and take a breather from being parents for a moment.
Undoubtedly when you first started dating each other, you spent as much time together enjoying yourselves and getting to know each other better. The misconception of being a parent is that part of your life has to disappear completely.
The most important thing to remember about ensuring that you get the most out of your date nights is planning ahead, but remaining flexible. By doing this, if things go wrong in some way or not as you would have liked, and this happens a lot when you are a parent, it won’t upset the apple cart much and you will still be able to have a good time.
The recommendation we would give is to arrange for a date night once every month, at the very least. Sticking to one a month can lift any pressure both of you might feel and is a nice and gentle way of getting back into the habit of spending quality time together without the kids, which can be quite weird at first.
Organise for a close friend or family member to take care of the little ones for the night, get out of the house and have a good one. As long as you do something you both feel comfortable with, there really is no limit to what you could do on your date nights.
For many couples the best way to decide is on a turn basis – where one of you chooses where you are going and what you are going to do.
The classic base for a great date night is the combination of dinner and some other activity. For instance, if you are both film buffs, you could go out for a movie and dinner date night. Whereas if live music is something you are both interested in, you could go to a gig/concert and a meal.
If you can’t afford a gig, movie or something similar it’s important that you aren’t put off the idea of a date night. Remember, the whole point of having a date night is so you and your partner can spend time together. Some people even have date nights based at home.
It may be a good idea to arrange for the babysitter to take your children out somewhere for the evening or even overnight to give the two of you some peace and quiet. You could then have a meal with the added twist of one of you preparing a course each and maybe sharing the dessert preparation duties.
Even if you don’t fancy cooking, you could just order some tasty takeaway and cuddle in front of a movie or some television.
Ultimately, the key to a great date night is having fun together and devoting some time to each other. Try not to think of it as being selfish; it’s more about reconnecting with each other and that can only be beneficial for your relationship in the long run. So don’t be afraid to plan the perfect date night for you and your partner!