As a wife and mother of 2 children, I don't
always have the time or energy to get out of the house with my husband. It is a
very rare occasion to actually have time to ourselves, and then when we do have
that time it can be difficult to find the energy to actually go somewhere
because we have to put the time into thinking about where we want to go and to
work it in the budget to pay for it too.
This post will have a few tips and place
ideas to keep handy in regards to dating while being a parent, a married couple,
or being in a relationship while having a busy lifestyle. This is also a selfish
reasoning post as I'm hoping that writing all of this out will keep the ideas
and tips at my fingertips and fresh in my mind for my own relationship. What can
I say? Everything seems easier for me after I organize it and write it down.
When to Date:
- Play hooky during a random work week day once
every few months (if you have kids, this will be while they are at school or in
a day care program.)
- Have the kids go to a friends' house after
school for just a few hours on a weeknight.
- Take a whole weekend and have the kids (if any) stay at Grandma's or Aunt's
house.
- If you have a nice neighbor and your kids are a
little older (10-12), have them watch themselves for a couple of hours - notify
the neighbor to keep an eye on things.
- Take the whole family- but seperate adults from
kids with the "trust test"--- see examples on where you may be able to pull this
off in the Where section below.
Money to Date:
- Save your spare change in a piggy bank and make
it exclusively for going out once there's enough.
- Round all your bills up to the nearest dollar
when budgeting, and record the remaining change left in your account so you can
cash out and do something with it after it adds up.
- Set aside $100 in "special occasion" money each
month. This can be used for various occasions (birthdays, holidays, etc. But
some months it may not ALL get spent and then it can be transfered over to a
"date night special occasion".
- Take $50 out of your grocery money for the
month- get the ingredients for two inexpensive dinners and some bread and milk
for the week. Then set the rest aside for a date!
Where to "Date":
At home:
- Homemade dinner for two at the table: snack
foods, crab legs, make a meal together, etc. It is always nice to sit down to a
quiet dinner of good food and just talk about adult things. It's nicer when that
meal is quick and easy so you're not just reminded of work. Just making food for
two is a lot easier anyway then making a meal for a family.
- Morning coffee on the deck. While the kids are
still sleeping, or getting ready for the day, take a half hour and just sit in
the morning with a cup of coffee and your loved one to enjoy each other before
the stresses of the day bombard you.
- Sounds terrible- but on the couch in front of
the TV can be nice when kids are asleep or not at home. Rent a movie that piques
both of your interests. Watch a whole series of TV shows that you both enjoy and
make it a marathon.
- Play a game- board game, video game, card game,
etc. In my opinion- sometimes it isn't easy to find the motivation to do this-
but if you force yourself you'll find you're having a good time after you get
into it.
- Go for a walk or do an outside project
together. Plant a garden. Watch the animals. Burn down that pile of yard debris.
Out of the house:
- Bowling. (Can be an Adult/Child Seperated activity if playing on
different lanes!)
- Theme park.
- Casino.
- Movie.
- Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner somewhere. (Can be
an Adult/Child Seperated activity when sitting at different
tables!)
- Hiking.
- Camping.
- Fishing.
- Skating.
- Backroad driving.
- Miniature golf (Can be an Adult/Child Seperated
activity if you let the kids go a couple ahead of you.)
And, now I'm at a loss or have a block with
coming up with creative dating ideas...
Please comment and share your ideas! I'd love to
have more to add to my list so I have a good queue of choices. Have a great rest
of your week!
