I Bet You Need a Date Night
I’m thinking, if your house is anything like mine, you need a date night as much as I do. The days and weeks can be so stressful, and spending time with my husband can give me the energy, peace, and joy that I need to relief some of that stress. It makes me a better wife and a better mom. So, we make time for just the two of us a priority. We love going out to dinner, playing racket ball, going for walks, shopping (well, he’s sweet enough to go with me), going to the movies, and we’ve even done a scavenger hunt at the mall. We have the best time together!
Even when we can’t leave the house, we still have a great date night.
Date nights at home is something we have been doing for several years. There have been lots of times when we just couldn’t go out. The sitter fell through or a kid got sick or plans had to change. And sometimes the money for a night out just wasn’t in the wallet. Those things happen to everybody so it’s nice to have some options for night in.
Ideas for Date Nights at Home
1. The classic movie night
Put those kids in bed. Pop some popcorn or get some from your local theater. Some theaters have made popcorn available to take home. So, get some popcorn and maybe some peanut M & M’s while you’re at it. Pick out a movie you love and cuddle on the couch. Or….move it to the bedroom for a movie night under the sheets.
2. Dinner for two
How do you have a dinner for two with kids in the house? Well, you’ve got a couple options.
Option A. Make dinner as usual and let the kids watch a movie in the living room while the two of you eat at the table. You could also make something special for yourselves and throw in a frozen pizza for the kids. One of the great things about this is that your kids get to see you spending time together, and it shows them the importance of your relationship. They see how you treat each other, and it sets the standard for their future marriage.
Option B. Wait until the kids go to bed and have a late dinner that you cook together. Set the mood by turning on some music and lighting some candles. Cook up some steaks, twice baked potatoes, and grill some corn on the cob, and you have a restaurant meal right at home.
3. Game night
Get the his and hers favorite snacks out of the cabinet and pick out a couple fun 2 player board games. Some of our favorites are Qwirkle, Sequence, and Yahtzee. You can get those online or Walmart. You can add your own rules to make games more interesting and more fun.
4. A night under the stars
Grab a blanket or two, some hot chocolate, and a couple camping chairs. Make a campfire and the enjoy the evening looking up at the stars. Trying to find the different constellations for each season is always a challenge and can easily be turned into a “who can find it first” game. Or maybe you just want to roast marshmallows for some s’mores. Since my husband loves being outdoors, this is one of his favorites. He loves sitting outside holding hands with me while we listening to the crickets, frogs, and the crackling of the fire. It’s the perfect peaceful and romantic date.
5. Video game night
This is one our favorites date nights. Just the other night we played Mario cart (I won), ate some Doritos, and just laughed at how much video game cars are nothing like driving a real car. We also recommend the Wii Fit chicken game and sword fighting game. You just have to try them. If you don’t have a game system, you can find two-player games for your phone or tablet. (We play these phones games while we wait for a movie to start at the theater too.)
6. Dessert night
This is great option if you are not able to eat a dinner alone. We often have some cookie dough ready to go in the frig, which means dessert night is always an option at our house. When kids are off to bed, we can share some ice cream or throw some cookies in the oven. It’s a great way to relax together after a long day.
These aren’t the only date night options. You can always combine some to make an even better date night. A Nerf gun war or Nerf gun target practice can be a lot of fun.
Dates don’t even have to be in the evening. A morning walk or breakfast on the patio at sunrise would be a wonderful time together.
Whether it’s a night in or a night out, taking time for each other is one the best things we can do for our marriages. What are you doing for your next date night?
