My husband Chris and I rarely went out on dates when we decided that we wanted to get married someday. We saved the money we would normally spend going out and saved it for our future home. Only 9 months after we were married we found out that I was pregnant. I was attending Cosmetology school 60-65 hours a week plus a part-time job teaching dance and figure skating. Chris was also working 60+ hours a week. We had little time and little energy to go out.
Fast forward a bit and add 3 kids in 4 years to the mix and we still struggle to find the time to date. However, we both strongly agree it's essential to carve out some time during the week to focus on your spouse. Our relationship is always changing and growing with the seasons and unpredictable events of life.
We've noticed that if we intentionally take some time to focus on each other even for just an hour a week there is less arguing, more affection, more thoughtfulness, and less stress.
How to Date Your Spouse When You Have Young Kids
1. Schedule 3-4 date nights a month. Yep, take out your calendar and pick your date nights. Aim for at least once a week.
2. Plan an activity. Check out this post for date night ideas.
3. Put the kids to bed early or hire a sitter. Hire a reliable sitter if you plan a night out. Not every date needs to be out of the house tho. Put the kids to bed a little early to get some extra time alone.
4. Get dressed up. Take a shower, put some fresh clothes on, spray your spouses favorite perfume/cologne on and brush your teeth. I like to get dressed up even when we are staying in.
5. Add something special just for that night. Our something special is usually a new drink or dessert. It's something we look forward to and something we don't do often normally. This could be anything you want and something special to look forward to all week.
Happy Dating!
