You can pretty much guarantee that parenthood leaves most people with less time and money to spend on themselves and their relationship. I’ve long accepted that nights of evening dress and canapes are now off the menu but that doesn’t mean giving up on romantic evenings all together. With a bit of planning you can still have date night at home with no worry about babysitters or forking out for a taxi home.
Date night tips that won’t break the bank
1) Remember to declare it ‘date night’ – If you’re going to be staying in you want to make sure its not just like any other evening so plan when it will be in advance so you can both look forward to it. Even better, set a regular date even if its only once a month.
2) Cook together – Cooking yourselves is always going to save you money over a take away and you can turn it into part of your date if you do it together. As busy parents we tend to divide up what needs doing so it’s lovely to work together on something.
3) Recreate one of your early dates – Bring back memories by watching the first film you saw together or trying to recreate a meal you enjoyed.
4) Play games – Never underestimate the power of having a little silly fun. I wouldn’t recommend things like scrabble or trivial pursuit for date night as they always seem to lead to an argument in our house but I’m sure you can find something less controvesial.
5) Plan something together – There’s nothing like looking forward to something as a couple even if it’s not really a practical plan. How about getting out some maps and travel guides and planning your ideal trip around the world? What sort of party would you love to have for an upcoming anniversary?
Date night essentials
It’s always interesting to get another point of view so I did a quick survey of some fellow parent bloggers to find out how they like to spend their romantic nights in and there were some clear favourites:
Emma from Emma & 3 goes for a good bottle of wine. The fact that you are sharing a bottle makes for a more romantic ambiance than separate drinks.
For Joy from Pink Oddy it’s all about the food. Not everyone fancies oysters. You could pick a favourite meal or as I suggested above recreate one that has special meaning for the two of you.
Liz from Me and My Shadow always makes sure the kids are properly settled in bed. Of course we love them but it doesn’t hurt to have a little ‘out of sight, out of mind’ time now and again.
Maggy from Red Ted Art recommends a tasty pudding. A bit of decadence could be just the thing to put you in the mood for love.
Sarah from Boo Roo & Tigger Too likes to snuggle up in front of the latest blockbuster. Services like Netflix and Amazon Prime make it easy to find the perfect film.
Marianne from Mari’s World likes to light some candles. Even your boring old dining room can be transformed with candlelight.
On a practical note, make sure you’ve bought condoms beforehand. The middle of the night dash to the garage is never conducive to romance.
One final piece of advice from Jennifer of Jennifer’s Little World – Turn off those phones and tablets. You deserve each others undivided attention.
So while date nights might be different now we have kids we mustn’t forget it is really just about spending time together. How do you like to spend your romantic evenings? I’d love to hear your top tips.
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