When was the last time you had date night?

Date Night-In

As a parent, it is challenging to find time as a couple. We’re often too tired from everyday work and parenting that it becomes easy to simply order take-out and stream something.

Hey! No shame if you do that and that’s all you have energy for. Trust me, I have had many “date” nights in our living-room. And they still make us connected and happy.

Dinner Dates

Lately, we’ve started going out to dinner the way we used to before becoming parents. As a couple, it’s exciting to get dressed in something besides “lounge” wear and see that we still got it. We don’t wear anything formal either, just something nicer than usual.

I order wine, he orders appetizers, and we immediately and pleasantly relax into the space, the mood and each other.

We aren’t interrupted mid-sentence by our inquisitive child. We aren’t carrying laundry, or cooking, or preparing a bento box.

Just Us and Good Food

We talk about everything: our week, our child, my book, my wine, his work, the rain, a new movie, what we might want for dessert and much more.

It’s not surprising that this man still makes me laugh-out-loud. It’s refreshing that we still find part of our younger selves during these dates. And yet we also find how we’ve become different.

We’re parents now and we’ve changed as individuals but also as a couple.

Dates Nights are Ordinary and Extraordinary

When we first became parents, we didn’t have time to shower, let alone date. Even when we had someone to watch our little one, we were always thinking about her and would constantly check her baby camera. We couldn’t wait and we would rush home just so we could be with her.

As the quarantine started, we did not have the option to go out. Our dates became target-runs. If we were lucky, we went for gelato and we ate outside. Sometimes you just got to do what you can under the circumstances.

Now that our little one is older, we enjoy getting away for longer periods of time. We tell her we’re going to have “mommy and daddy” dinner and she’s cool with it.

Thankful

We’re very grateful that we can do date nights. For us, date nights and couple time are essential in keeping our family healthy and happy.

I wish you all happy date nights for Valentine’s month and beyond!