After weeks in quarantine, many parents are itching for some alone time. When you’re in a partnership, it’s important to set aside time for you to connect and get on the same page. Worldwide pandemics don’t change that, they just make it harder to do. That’s why parents, like Illana Wiles of Mommy Shorts, are getting creative for in-home date nights. Take a look at how it worked for her and challenge yourself to make your own at-home date night. (Here are some ideas if you’re not sure where to start.)
Step 1
First you need to break it to the kiddos.
Sit your kids down and talk about why it’s important for you guys to connect and offer up activities (and potentially a virtual sitter) to help keep them engaged during the time you’ve set aside to be together.
Step 2
Get yourselves ready.
Sure sweatpants are the new go-to, but it’s time to dust off your favorite dress or button-down. Getting ready will help build the anticipation and show your partner you’re invested in the date.
Step 3
Create a menu you both love.
Finally, you won’t need to consider if the kids will whine about it. Assign one person to cook and the other to prepping the romantic ambiance.
Put some special touches into your date night setting. It can be candles for the table or maybe laying a picnic blanket in the yard. Anything that breaks up the typical stay-at-home routine. Step 2 and 3 will also send your kiddos visual queues, that show relationships take time and care to nurture.
Step 4
Distract the kids. Set your kids up with their entertainment hosted by a virtual sitter!
Step 5
Date!
Enjoy your uninterrupted time that you worked to create together. Talk about how you’re feeling during this time? What’s working? What’s not? Relive old memories, discuss plans for the future, laugh at old jokes. Enjoy the company!
It definitely takes a little more effort and some virtual help, but parents can carve out some space to re-connect. We love seeing the ways families are finding pockets of normal and still supporting the communities that need it.
Schedule a date night today!
