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The New Parents Guide to Making Date Night Work

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Remember taking long walks, uninterrupted conversations about nothing in particular, and a time when your marriage included romance and fun? For many new parents, dating and having fun with your spouse can quickly take a back seat to diapers, late night feedings, and household chores. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the new baby and let fun and romance drift to the wayside, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

I remember well the “dream” of regular date nights before our first daughter was born. Prior to children, date night was easy. Theater, movies, concerts, art walks, we didn’t mind spending our weekend on leisure activities and fun. Then, baby comes and our focus is pulled. When you’re tired, it’s hard to think of creative ideas for a night out and the motivation to find a sitter you trust can be hard to muster just so you can get out and “do something.”

Finding a Sitter You Trust

You may be fortunate to have nearby relatives or close friends you can trust, but even then, you may not want to take advantage of their schedules. If you don’t have family in town or you’re the first in your circle of friends to have children, it can be tough. Think outside the box and watch for potential sitters in your congregation, or look for recommendations from other moms at library storytime or a parenting group, or ask co-workers for a suggestion, or you may want to try a local nanny agency where you can hire nannies who have been through a background check process. If you’re still struggling to find the right sitter, remember the option of the Home Date after the baby is in bed:

Beating Exhaustion and Fatigue

In those B.C. (Before Children) year of your life, date night typically meant a Friday night on the town into the wee hours of the morning. Now with the exhaustion of late night feedings, 9 o’clock seems late. But, who says a date needs to start at 8pm on a Friday? Consider a Saturday morning matinee, brunch at a favorite restaurant, visit to the local Farmers’ Market, tour a museum, or go shopping. Considering alternate times for date night may even make it easier to find a sitter if your trusted caregiver tends to have evening plans.

Overcoming Distractions to Plan a Great Date

Okay, you want to go out and you have a sitter, but you don’t have any idea what you want to do. You aren’t familiar with any new releases at the movie theater that aren’t animated and you haven’t had time to read a newspaper in months. Having reservations, tickets, or a fun idea in place will help you to keep your commitment to go out and have some fun.

The Family Budget…

Let’s face it, new babies aren’t free and no matter how many shower gifts you receive it does bring an added expense to the family budget. Perhaps you’re feeling the strain and date night seems to fall under that “want/entertainment/we don’t really need it” category making it one of the easiest expenditures to eliminate. Before you give up and toss date night to the side, consider these fun ideas for a free/cheap date night in Kansas City:

Many of Kristina Light’s favorite date nights are on the free list… the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, First Fridays in the Crossroads and Shakespeare in the Park.

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