Date nights might be few and far between when you have small children, but it doesn’t have to be that way! What is your favorite date night idea?
What Is Your Favorite Date Night Idea?
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Now that I am a single mama, my date nights mainly consist of binging Stranger Things and ordering an entire pizza that I don’t have to share with anyone, meeting one of my girlfriends for dinner, or having them over to binge something on Netflix, and have some snacks.
Not that there’s anything wrong with those versions of “date night”, or with being single, I have to admit I used to love my date nights when I was a married lady.
Stay-At-Home Date Night Ideas
When I was married, I was a stay-at-home mom and college student, while my then-husband worked a ton. We were on one income, and short on time, so we had to get creative as far as date nights went. Creativity is the mother of invention, and our stay-at-home dates were some of the best I’ve been on in my life.
One of my favorite date nights was grilling our favorite foods, and enjoying a candlelit dinner, with a glass of wine on the patio, once the kids were in bed. It was so relaxing, it almost felt as if we were out at a restaurant (save for the baby monitor receiver).
Another at-home date night that was really fun (and pre-Netflix) centered around a local TV show that only aired at midnight on Saturday nights. The hosts of the show featured creepy old movies from the 60’s and 70’s, with hilarious commentary during commercial breaks. One of us would stay with the sleeping kids while the other ran out and grabbed tacos from our favorite place before it started, and then we would eat tacos and watch awesome movies. We looked forward to it every week, and it was a cheap date that we could almost always keep!
Thrifty Date Night Ideas
Going out for a date night doesn’t have to be expensive! Here are some cheap/ free ideas:
- Grab a blanket and a basket, pack a picnic meal, hike around your hometown, and enjoy a picnic lunch or dinner for two.
- Keep an eye out for deals on classes or different things you would like to try that would make for a great date– i.e. a paint night voucher on Groupon.
- How fun are these relationship questions and conversation prompt cards?!
- There are lots of free outside events in the summer months. It just takes a little research to find them. A local theater company puts on free Shakespeare performances in the park in the evening a few times each summer. Couples bring food, wine, and chairs, and it makes for an awesome (and free) evening!
- I once spent a first date grabbing coffee to-go, and then walking through a nearby cemetery, talking, and reading tombstones with the guy. This may sound like the beginning of a slasher movie, but it was one of my favorite first dates! (I also write horror, so…)
- Save any gift card to restaurants that you receive over the holidays, and use them for dates.
- If you have a drive-in nearby, bring the kids to a double feature! We used to watch the first movie with the kids. Since they were already in their jammies, we would nestle them into the back of our truck once they fell asleep in their sleeping bags. Then, we would watch the second move alone. This backfired at times, and we didn’t always make it through the second movie, but it was still a fun date, with the kids!
Playing Motherhood Free Online Summit for Moms: Speaker Carlie Kercheval
Looking for some date night inspiration and all around love advice? Register today for the free Playing Motherhood Online Summit for Moms and be sure to catch Carlie’s segment on nurturing the foundation of your family–the love you share with your spouse!
Click here to register for the Playing Motherhood Free Virtual Event!
More for Parents
- How to Date Your Spouse When Your Kids Are Young
- Take Care of Yourself First (& Be a Better Mom!)
- How to Have a Date Night with Your Spouse When You Can’t Afford a Babysitter
- Realistic Date Night Ideas for Parents
What is your favorite date night? Comment below!
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