Making date night easy is possible with these easy tips. Having regular dates nights with your spouse is probably one of those things on the to-do list that doesn’t get checked off often enough. It’s so much easier said than actually getting done. With three kids, it’s not easy or economical to hire a baby sitter. This is where getting creative comes in handy. If your kids are a little older, you can still have a “date” without breaking the bank or a lot of planning. So far, it’s one of the best ideas I’ve come up with and has surely saved us a pretty penny or two. Here is what we do.
The Dinner:
Save a few dollars by feeding the kids before you go out. We pitch this strategically to the kids. It’s not, “we eat at a nice restaurant you eat fast food.” Instead, it’s pick your favorite food night – “kids get to pick AND Mommy & Daddy get to pick!!!” So what do you think kids will pick? Something they love and never get to eat, fast food or pizza. We tell the kids that they can get their choice only if we get to have our choice. The kids get their one night of pizza or fast food and we get to eat at one of our favorite restaurants without worrying about paying $7.00 to $10.00 per each fancy kid’s meal that they really don’t like.
Later, we load up the car and head to Mommy and Daddy’s choice restaurant. The kids get to bring a quiet toy or electronic. We go somewhere not too busy or go when it’s not peak hours. Then we ask for two tables. One for the kids and one for us. Again, we pitch this the right way. The kids feel like adults with their own “waiter” and table. Meanwhile, we are just one table next to them watching from a close distance. They get to order a desert while we eat and enjoy our meals without the constant interruptions, fights, or what have you. Even if the restaurant can’t accommodate our two tables, we still enjoy ourselves and savor the meal (and the savings!) because how often do we get to go somewhere without a kid’s menu? Not often!
The Movie:
After dinner, we normally get something from RedBox and get one movie for them, one for us. We load the kids up with popcorn and snacks, pillows, blankets. They get to watch their own movie, we watch ours. Something new and something fun for everyone!
Last night, we had our date night. We headed to a new restaurant we heard great things about and ordered pistachio crusted lamb chops– a perfect date night meal. The kids enjoyed their desert and I enjoyed my meal and drink called Champagne Anyone? Why, yes, I think so! Cheers!
How do you make date night happen with your spouse?
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