Date nights are some of my favorite occasions. There’s something special about alone time at dinner or at a play with your significant other. Yet, they tend to be looked at is something that is a luxury rather than a necessity for your relationship, especially if you have kids. I’m not a relationship expert, obviously, but I can tell you that I’ve never regretted going on a date with my husband.
Once you’ve decided it’s time for a date night, you pick a date and a time. If you don’t have kids, this probably isn’t hard to do. If you are a parent, you know that it can be quite the task. We usually have to plan in advance by getting family or the sitter to help out that night. If we choose a sitter, we then need to factor in the cost of the sitter which can make the date night much more expensive. I’ve always heard the phrase, “A sitter is cheaper than a divorce” which is true, but it’s still worth it to keep cost in mind. Maybe you’d prefer a “date day” instead of a date night, for example! Lunch dinners or activities tend to be cheaper than in the evening.
Moving on to the real reason you’re probably here, what do you do for date?
- Go to dinner.
- This one is probably a no brainer and the usual selection of what you do for date night. Spice it up with somewhere new!
- Go workout together
- Jin and I do this often. We don’t usually consider it a date, but it’s another way of spending quality time for ourselves and for each other. If you have kids, I recommend finding a gym that offers childcare. Our gym charges $40/month to watch Mila for max of 2.5 hours a day while we’re at the gym. It’s the best $40 we’ve ever spent and Mila LOVES it there.
- Movies/Play
- Depending on where you live, going to a play may not be an option. Tickets to the theater can be a bit more expensive than a movie as well, but such a fun activity and usually an excuse to get a little fancy.
- Activity
- An “activity” can be anything from bowling, vineyard, brewery, axe throwing, cooking class, laser tag – you name it! This is probably my favorite kind of date night, because it usually involves a lot of laughing 🙂
Next items on the agenda, what do you do for a date night at home. Whether you’re trying to save money, don’t have a babysitter, or just don’t feel like leaving the house these are for you!
- Movie
- This is probably the top choice for Jin and me once Mila goes to bed. We search through the movies available for rent on one of the many streaming sites we pay for (lol), put on our pajamas, and watch the movie from bed. I know this may sound like a “duh” idea, but when was the last time you actually cuddled or held hands with your partner in bed or on the couch while watching an uninterrupted movie?
- Cook Dinner together
- Pick a dish that you both can help with. For example, Jin is a great potato peeler and I hate it! Cook a nice dinner, play some instrumental Jazz (if that’s your thing), and sit down to eat and enjoy each other’s company.
- Go outside
- Depending on the age of your child (if you have them) grab the baby monitor once they’re down and take it outside with you. You don’t HAVE to have a fancy back porch set up, just grab a couple of chairs and a blanket, pull up netflix on your cell phone or laptop, and voila! You have a movie night under the stars. Heat up a bag of popcorn and pour yourself a drink of choice to go with it. Maybe you have a firepit that you can roast marshamallows together or even make a hot dog :p.
- Play a game
- This one was mostly popular for Jin and me during the pandemic. We got into playing card games! I really enjoyed it. The game you choose could be as simple as cards, Jenga, or play a sexy twister game if you’d like to spice it up.
- Plan to have sex
- Yes, I just said the word “sex”. It’s probably not what you were expecting, but planning to have sex is one of the best things you can do for your relationship to maintain intimacy. It doesn’t need to be anything elaborate, but throwing on some lingerie won’t hurt! I’m sure just showing up in your birthday suit wouldn’t be upsetting either :).
As a working mom and wife, I understand how hard it can be to plan to do anything other than get in bed at a decent hour. Find a time that makes sense for both of you and stick to it. Like I said before, I’ve never had a date night that I’ve regretted, and I don’t think you will either!
