If you’re married with kids, especially young kids, you know
that “dating” your spouse is something like an urban legend. My husband and I haven’t
exactly mastered the art of dating since having children. Had we known how elusive dating would be
after our son arrived, I can say without doubt that we would have spent fewer
nights in the basement watching How I Met
Your Mother and more nights above ground, outside our home.
It turns out that
the more kids you have, the harder dating becomes. Not only does the cost of a babysitter go up,
but the energy you thought your older child was robbing from you was nothing
compared to the damage that two of them can accomplish.
As parenting and dating have gotten
trickier, we have learned the importance of creative dating. Because finances,
scheduling, and family-time are all important, sometimes you have to think a
little outside the box in order to get a little time with your love. I have put together a description of a few
dates Jarod and I have tried out in our effort to master creative dating. I have gotten some of my ideas from books,
movies, and the internet. One of my
favorite sites for great ideas is: www.thedatingdivas.com Be warned, some of the dates are
definitely cheesy, so you need a partner who is willing to be a good sport, but
I think Jarod and I would both agree that some of most fun dates we’ve had are
at home after the kids are asleep.
Secret Agent Date: Get a couple of water guns from the dollar
store, make a target or flag, and leave a note with a Secret Mission statement
for your date. Each of you has an allotted amount of time to hide your target.
The mission is to find your partner’s target before they find yours. The water guns are your weapon to “freeze”
your partner for a specified amount of time and give you a chance to continue
searching for their target. After your
mission is complete (we played several rounds), watch a movie to fit your
theme. (One of the Bond movies, Get Smart, or whatever you can think
of.) We also had mocktinis (shaken, not
stirred) and Rice Crispy Treats (Snap, Crackle, Pop!)for our movie snack. Make up your own rules and mission, but
hopefully this gets your creative wheels turning.
Slumber Party for Two: Break out your Twister board, or make your
own living room sized board by cutting circles from construction paper and securing
them to your floor. Go to: www.reiki-group.co.uk/twister/v0.1/
for a free twister caller to ensure fair play for everyone. Add your own twist to the game by adding your
own spicy rules for play. (Please don’t
make me come out and say it, my mom reads this!) If you play the game right, you probably
won’t need this next step, but you can save it for later if you want. Break out your sleeping bags, pop some
popcorn, and make a “Suicide” with your favorite sodas while watching a flick
from your yesteryears. (Might I suggest
an 80s classic…)
Wild Wild West: Find some boots, a hat,
anything to make you look like the cowboy you are and get ready for some Old
West Fun. Set up an aluminum can pyramid
and use rubber bands to see who the real sharp-shooter in your house is. Tune in to some country music and have a hoe
down. When you’re done, turn on an old
western (or a modern one), open up a bottle of IBC root beer, and chow down on
some jerky.
Spa Night: Set the mood with candles,
soft music, chocolate, and a fluffy robe.
Offer your date the “Full Spa Package” which includes a full body
massage and, once again, my mom read this so I’ll just let you connect the
dots.
Picnic for Two: Pack a light picnic of
grapes, cheese, and the finest non-alcoholic wine you can find. (At our house, we call it grape juice.) Enjoy
eating a meal together and have a full conversation without interruption. To give
your date night a little more depth, you can Google “conversation starters for
couples” or head over to: www.marriagemissions.com where they have an article full of great questions as well as links to find
more.
Some other great ideas are star gazing, indoor
camping, Mom Prom, breakfast in bed (at night), cooking together, Hide and Seek…Get
creative, get planning, and set an alarm…so when you fall asleep putting the
kids to bed you still have time for a date!
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