Date nights are a time for couples to reconnect and spend some quality time together. With kids, it can seem impossible, but we have all the tips and tricks for making sure that date night stays fun and memorable while still bonding with your kids. We’ve got lots of ideas to keep the romance alive like romantic restaurants, home-cooked meals, or even an evening at home watching movies!
Why do parents need date nights?
Date nights are important for parents because they allow the parents to remember that they are a couple and not just adults raising kids. This helps the relationship feel more like a partnership rather than just an adult and child, which can often happen when children are involved. Date nights also help the parents keep things fresh in their relationship. There’s always something new to talk about, explore, and learn when you spend time with your partner outside of the usual routine.
For me personally with 4 kids, 3 dogs, a full-time job, a few side jobs, and only 24 hours a day, sometimes I get bogged down in the day-to-day activities. When everything in the house calms down and my wife and I have a moment with each other…..well we have to decide between sleep and spending time with each other. I am sorry to say sleep wins on most normal days. If you do this for a long time without any alone time or carved out time for each other it can cause issues in a relationship.
I think it’s funny because I used to see my parents and grandparents up early in the morning drinking a cup of coffee with each other. It never occurred to me until now that these are some of the only moments I have had with my wife in the day. No conversation on money or stress or kids. Just the two of us being together.
So with everything going on, we try to make it a point to have a date night with each other as often as we can. It is easy to know when is a good time because our fuses with each other start to get shorter and shorter. I try to make the date nights just my wife and me but sometimes with as many kids as we have that isn’t possible. So we have a stay home date night and try to make it as special as we can. A lot of times it’s the trying that helps keep the relationship strong. It may be a disaster and the kids may do their best to not let you guys cuddle on the couch but knowing that both of you are trying to make time for each other is very healthy for a relationship.
Date Night Ideas for Parents
Remember years ago when you were chasing your new spouse? What kind of ideas did you come up with to show them how you were the person they wanted to be with? Well, it still works the same now except you are proving why they should still be with you and you have a few kids taking up all of your spare time. Besides that, it is exactly the same. Ok ok I know it’s a little bit tougher now for lots of reasons so here are 10 date night ideas for parents.
1) Plan Some Questions- If you don’t have a few questions planned out what you will find is that you get dressed up, drop off the kids, go to a nice place, then start talking about the kids. In order to break through this and get to know your spouse on a deeper level come up with some good safe questions that will start conversations. For example, a simple question like, “Who taught you how to swim”. I know at first look you are like what? How will a question like that help with a date night? The truth is a simple question is the opening kind of like when you first started dating. Once your spouse answers the questions it leads to deeper questions. Stuff like oh you learned to swim at 9 from your grandfather, tell me about your grandfather? Did you spend much time with him? Then you keep going. In the end, the goal is to learn something about the spouse you may not have known before and then for them to learn about you. Just because you have been married for 10 years doesn’t mean all the conversations have been had.
2) Take Them to Dinner- This one is obvious but very important. You need to take them out on a date to dinner where neither person is working. As parents our lives are so busy there is no time for us and sometimes we forget how much we love each other until we sit down together without the kids in front of us. When you get dressed up and go on a dinner date you will feel like you are back in high school. Remember those feelings of butterflies and being nervous to ask them out. Those feelings are still there but you have a responsibility now to take care of, your kids. If it is a Friday night then let the sitter know that your kid(s) will be gone for x amount of hours and you both should plan a nice time to sit down and talk.
3) Cooking Classes or preparing something new – Nowadays you can order a pre-packaged dinner for two with instructions and all. So whether you can go to an actual class or just buy a box, or just look up a recipe, preparing the meal for two with a bottle of wine can be a great date night.
4) A New Event- Whether it’s a new restaurant, a show, or somewhere new to walk together this is one of my favorite date night ideas for parents because it brings out spontaneity. Remember when you were dating and planning for a date night always meant something new and exciting? Well, why can’t it be like that now? You don’t have to plan everything in advance and you don’t need permission from the kids. It is just about you and your spouse getting out there and experiencing something new.
5) Romantic Movie- One of my favorite memories with my husband is watching a movie together. I love the feeling of cuddling up and finding out which parts we like best and most importantly laughing through most of it. If you want to add some spice into your date night then this would be perfect because it can also lead to you sharing some alone time.
6) A Walk in the Park- This is another one of my favorite date night ideas for parents because it brings out the little kid in you. If you are feeling like an old married couple then pack a lunch, grab a bottle of wine and go to the park. If your city has the top 10 list of things to do, go check one or two off the list. The truth is it doesn’t take much effort to plan a day just act like a tourist.
7) A Full Movie Marathon- This is also one of my favorite date night ideas for parents because I love movies and watching them altogether sounds like so much fun. My husband and I always make it a point to watch movies together in the theater, but when we can’t because of the kids…we will put them in front of one movie or another. Sometimes they like them other times they don’t. After all, it is still a nice time even if they are not completely engaged.
8) Weekend Getaway- The ultimate date night idea for parents is to pack up the car or put your name on a hotel list and take that much-needed trip. When you are in an exotic location who knows what could happen between the sheets. This is also the best way to reconnect with your spouse because nothing brings people closer than spending time together without distractions. It can even be a local weekend in the city by your home. The location is not as important as the time you spend with your spouse.
9) Painting- I am not sure what they will call it by your house but we have a few options for painting classes by us, one is called painting with a twist. It doesn’t sound like a great date night at first but when you take a bottle of wine and some paint by numbers canvas it can be a very good time.
10) Bowling- When is the last time you went bowling? This is one that we use when we can’t get rid of the kids for a night. We go to the ally, grab a lane, grab a pitcher, and grab some food. The kids have fun and you get to flirt with your spouse. It’s not ideal but it’s loud enough so that everyone can have fun and you don’t have to stress about the kids distracting others.
What Parents Should Not do on a Date Night
Do not do the things on this list.
– Do not go to bed early.
– Do not watch TV while playing on your phone not being engaged with each other
– Do not do the dishes or change clothes afterward.
– Do not complain about anything/one during date night (for example, your spouse, the kids, work, etc.).
– Do not go on the date unprepared and end up just talking about your kids
– Do not bring up the last fight
– Do not drag your spouse to things you know they don’t like
Conclusion
I hope you’ve found some date night ideas for parents that work well with your lifestyle. Whether you have a little one or two, an older child who is home from college, or any other scenario, there’s something on this list to fit the bill and get both of you out doing something fun together again. If all else fails–go bowling! Even if it doesn’t sound romantic at first, remember what they say about couples laughing more than anything? It might be time to break out those old shoes (or buy new ones) and go show off how good of a bowler YOU are 😉
