I Deas for Dates with Your Spouse.

Hi, my husband and I have a two year old and some dates we will do are going to a bar while I TRY to play pool. We both get a laugh when I miss the ball and it's romantic when he tries to teach me :) Dinner and a movie are nice, dinner theaters where they show old movies are nice and cheap. Comedy clubs are good too, if it's not too big a comic, tickets can be cheap too or the club may have discounts or packages are special nights. Another thing we like to do is rent a movie and my husband will cook the main meal and I cook dessert. Take the coffee table and dress it up with a satin tablecloth, some candles and comfy pillows to sit on and it's very romantic and fun. We even do game nights sometimes (monopoly, trouble, sorry, spades, etc).

When I went through this phase with my husband, the date day would always come and go, and we'd not do anything really special, because had been housebound so long, I just didnt know what to do. My hubby just didn't have the time to plan the dates.

I decided to make a date Bible.I went online, to the phone book, and to our local chamber of commerce to find information on local attractions.Then I put together a binder with all the ideas I could come up with. I lived close to San Francisco, so I pulled up the online pages for the ferry rides, museums, cable cars, historic walks, The Mint, evening shows, The Legion Of Honor, ect, and included directions, hours and prices. I listed other ideas like walking on the golden gate bridge or visiting the presideo. Locally in my town I listed public rose gardens, bowling alleys, raceways, wineries(especially ones with picnic facilities), parks with lakes( think rentable boats..also think kite flying!) and hiking trails. I wrote down all the ranches and farms that do fruit picking in a small community nearby. I also listed what day of the year all of our city events happen, like the antique car show and honey festival. I found reviews of the best restaurants, and even put in menus If they had them online. I listed the names of all the beaches on the coast, and any special things about them, with refrence to the state parks phone number. If they had weekend guided tours or "classes" with rangers I noted that also.
After that we were never at a loss as to what to do when someone offered to watch our kids, and even my husband could plan a surprise date without too much effort.

Now that my children are somewhat older, I find that I am offering to watch other young mother's children so that they can go out, and I always let them borrow the Bible.

Good luck,
Gail

My husband and I just went on a date last night (don't remember the last time we did that) and we just went to dinner with another couple. I like dinners alone but.... this couple doesn't have kids so it kept us off talking about grades, homework, etc. Things we normally talk about when we are together (even without the kids). We also enjoyed spending the day shopping together for our sons birthday. Didn't really find him a thing that day but we enjoyed each others company alot!
However last night by the time we got home ~after midnight~ we didn't start our date until after the HS varsity basketball games was over,etc (and our kids were still up) and got everyone to bed,etc. I was exhausted so was not in the "romantic mood" and he ended up mad at me. So make sure you are planning on keeping the date going once you get home otherwise it may ruin the whole thing. As it did for us last night.
Hope this helps :)

Hey there I have a 2 & 5 year old as well and my hubby and I have been doing date nights since my first daughter was born. It is so important to not forget each other. Of course we luv our children but we need our date night! ;)

We normally do movie & dinner. Sometimes go out with other couples for dinner.

I

Cheap date nights...

Take out...at home...with a good movie and nothing on but the radio.

Hotel in a new part of town (not the RITZ but not a Motel 6 either) with take out and nothing on but the radio

Dinner at a 2 for one place (look on line or sign up at various restaurants and they'll send you coupons for these), maybe a live show (you can sign up for these too and they'll give you at least ONE complementary ticket a year most times)

Here's what I know about losing connection with your spousal unit...they want to feel needed and wanted, you want to feel needed and wanted and both of you want to feel needed and wanted by the other. And most of the time some uninterrupted 4 minute laundry (code work for s*x) is just the ticket to reconnect when you're feeling misplaced and broken. It makes you feel like a woman and makes him feel like a man...and isn't that was date night is supposed to do? Take you away from being simply Mom or Dad and get back to remembering you are a woman (and he is a man) as well??

Have fun! I wish you both the best of luck!

My husband and I like to go for hikes or walks at the park. We've also done the usual dinner and movie, we like to drive and just listen to the radio and talk. Picnics at the park are fun. There is a roller skating rink in Arlington- it's not too expensive and it's fun to roller skate. We have roller blades and we roller blade around the school parking lot.
Have fun!
~C.

Dinner out, Movie, Bowling, Pool. Go to a play at a local college. Go on a picnic. Go to a local festival.. Go to garage sales and then have a nice lunch. Car show, boat show.. Just remember to leave your credit cards at home!

We have discovered Bananagrams. It is an easy word game to play.. . We go to a pub and play while we enjoy an adult beverage..

There are places here in town that have Trivia night. We get appetizers and play... We look for places with free music and go and share some wine or a beer and some snacks..

Four day weekend in Fort Worth!!!! Google it --- it's a comedy club that is SO funny!!!!! Worth the money!

Two suggestions:

1. Join a bowling, pool or basketball league - anything that gets you two out with other grown ups. The point is you will be less likely to let down "your team" than you will to find an excuse to cancel date night.

2. Have friends watch your kids while your out. Your kids will see it as a playdate instead of getting upset you're leaving them. The following week, return the favor to your friends - let them go out and drop their kids off at your house.

As far as "date" ideas....
Have dinner with your kids, then make the "date" dessert or drinks out afterwards. Go for long walks or on a bike ride. Go to a park and have a picnic. Go to a matinee (the cheap show). Get NetFlix - and have a date night in after the kids go to sleep. Go to a bar and shoot pool.
Just remember that date night is about reconnecting, and doesn't have to be at NIGHT.