3 Tricks To Help Reinvent Date Night Once And For All

It’s time for a date night. Whether you’re newly married or have four kids in school, you and your spouse need some time together and might need to reinvent date night! Unfortunately, the date night ritual can be a bit lackluster. You pay a babysitter, eat a good dinner, and sit through a decent movie. Or maybe you go out for an evening, only to return more tired than you left. I think it’s time to reinvent date night once and for all. It’s time we see dating our spouse in a new light.

With already full lives, going out with your husband or wife should be a treat, not another obstacle to conquer. So if you’re in need of a night out, consider a completely different look at dating. There are a few creative, frugal ways to enjoy a night away from the routine, and the best part is, they’re low stress ideas! Get ready to reinvent date night.

If you need some daddy daughter ideas, here are some activities to make your daughter feel special.

3 Tricks To Help Reinvent Date Night Once And For All

The Rules

The first thing you think of when going on a fun date is rules, right? Don’t let these standards scare you away. When rethinking date night, you might need a little help. Let these rules guide you and push you outside of your “dinner and a movie” comfort zone.

Do something new for both of you. If you’re up for a little adventure (truly, it can be as big or small as you choose), try something brand new. Maybe you take a free class at a community center or attend a local high school play. You could try a new exercise class at your gym or eat at a brand new restaurant. If it’s new to both of you, the experience will surely bring some fun and awkwardness. Level the playing field, do something fun and interesting, and laugh when it goes awry.

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Talk about good things. A lot of wise people will counsel couples to spend date nights talking about everything except kids and work. That’s understandable. Here’s an amendment to that rule: talk about whatever makes you happy. If you just completed a huge project at work, tell your spouse why it was so exciting. If your son just got accepted to his top school, celebrate with your spouse.

You live together, parent together, and in some cases, you may work together. Avoid the mindless shop talk, but instead, find things that you both enjoy discussing and go there. Ask each other questions you don’t usually think of, and have fun listening to answers that may surprise you.

Do it regularly. Date nights need to happen more than once every few months. If it makes sense for you and your spouse to have a weekly night away, schedule it! Maybe every other week works best – more room in your budget for a fun night out. If your life is unpredictable each week, sit down each month and figure out at least two nights you can get away together. Put it in your calendars. Make reservations ahead of time. Do whatever is necessary to make this date night ritual a reality.

The Babysitting Trick

Part of the stress attached to date night is the cost of finding a babysitter. It feels like a lot of work to plan a special night out and track down a good babysitter. Plus, paying a babysitter for a few hours can really add up. So here’s a solution. Get together with a few other couple friends and make a monthly calendar of date nights for each family. Then, take turns watching each other’s kids.

If you have some exceptional friends without kids that want to join in the fun, offer a gift card or home cooked dinner. Get creative with sharing child care, and don’t let the babysitting dilemma be the reason you don’t get out.

The Exception

As you begin to reinvent date night, you may feel a bit overwhelmed by the pace of life. Work, kids, activities, etc. can make for a full schedule. Sometimes, you need to throw away all the rules and all the pressure of getting dressed up for a night out. Sometimes, you need to send your kids away for an evening and be the ones to stay in. If you throw all the rules of date night out, both the written and unwritten, don’t get rid of one helpful tip: spend time together. Whatever that looks like and whatever is best for your current season of life, be together.

So, get adventurous or get cozy. Gain a new image of date night – one that is low pressure, low stress, and full of good time with your person. Join the friends and family around you, and encourage each other to make date night a priority. Get out there, and go on a date.