Date Night Dilemma

Currently, date nights don’t happen as often as we’d like. To get some one-on-one children free time together sounds great and we always talk about how much we need some time together, yet we don’t schedule it enough. However, on those rare occasions that we actually trick – I mean “ask” – a family member into keep our children over night, we still have a hard time deciding what to do.

What is it that tends to distract my husband and I from being able to remember what we used to do on date nights B.K. (Before Kids)? I know there are many things we used to do – I mean, we dated for 5 years before getting married and were married for 2 years before daughter #1 arrived – so we must have done SOMETHING on those dates.

As high school sweethearts, our dates consisted of going to the one pool hall that didn’t serve alcohol since we weren’t old enough to drink…or dinner and a movie….sometimes movie marathon days.

As newlyweds, he worked nights and I was in college during the day, so dates consisted of grocery shopping in the middle of the night and 2:00 am “breakfast” at Denny’s…or hubby picking me up after my bartending shift at the local bar. Romantic, I know.

Now, married 11 years, we try to think of something else to do on date nights. We have a pool table that we never get to play because it tends to be the “clean laundry” pile. Going to a movie pretty much defeats the purpose of going out since we can’t really talk and catch-up, which is the point of taking some “us” time. Dinner works, but I have a hard time spending $50 on something that is eaten in 30 minutes and all I have to show for it is a wider waist.

How about some new ideas?:
Me: Pottery painting?
Him: No. Fishing?
Me: No. Walk in the park?
Him: No. Target shooting?
Me: No. Picnic and watch the sunset?
Him: No. Hmmmm….

This leads us to what our last date night ended up consisting of: Drop kids off at Aunt’s house. Shop for soon to be 6-year old daughter’s birthday presents and party décor. Rent movies so that we can pause them for snack and bathroom breaks.

I know - you are all jealous of our glamorous date night. However, this works well for us. At least, until next time.

Any ideas of inexpensive yet fun date nights?