Around our house the words “date night” stir excitement in all of us. Now, it isn't because our children love having a baby sitter. Rather, it is because they are hopeful that one of them might be going on a date!
My husband and I go on our fair share of dates. However, sometimes date night means that one of us stays home with two of the children while the other one gets to go on a date with our other child.
As the parents of two preschoolers and one toddler, daily life gets pretty busy. The bulk of our days consist of tending to the needs of our children and squeezing in special activities whenever we can manage them. Sometimes this means we miss out on really getting to talk to our kids. It can be difficult to have any type of conversation if your brother and sister are always competing for mom's or dad's attention.
About two years ago, we took our oldest child, then 2, on her first technical special night out. Grandma stayed with our son who was 1 at the time. We simply took our daughter out for ice cream. We weren't even gone an hour, yet two years later she still points to the ice cream shop where we shared a bit of time with her.
I have no doubt that these special dates with our children help us develop a better relationship with them. I've also found that the dates don't have to complicated or cost money. My oldest daughter is happy to go to my bedroom with me as we paint our toenails while Daddy entertains her brother and sister elsewhere in the house.
It is because I've seen firsthand how much these special times mean to my children that I took my three-year-old son to Bass Pro in Olathe on Saturday night. I was tired and it wasn't my first choice of places to go, but it was his night so off to the “Fish Store” we went. We sat on four-wheelers and pretended to sail the seas on the boats. He marveled at the live fish as well as the other, um, not live animals displayed around the store. As we headed out to the the parking lot, we took one last pretend ride on yet another ATV. We ended the night with hot chocolate for him and cup of decaf coffee for me.
I know the idea of taking children out for special dates isn't novel. Still, it's a tradition we'd like to continue as long as possible. I'd love to know where you like to spend a little one-on-one time with your kiddos. What do you like to do when you get a bit of one-on-one time with your child?