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Relationship Discussion (non-explicit)
Need ideas for a date night
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Anonymous
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Help! My husband and I are in such desperate need of a date night.. I have a teenage girl who can come watch our 2 year old, but I want to be able to hopefully be home before 10 or so to make sure DD gets to bed ok, and let this girl go home. (DD is used to having a fairly late bedtime because she takes a late nap)
My question, we live in loudoun county, and I am looking for good creative date ideas, hopefully in our area, and hopefully not costing us *too* much money. Please share some creative dates (and keep in mind it's cold outside, so outdoor dates probably wouldn't be very fun) that you've gone on. I want a nice evening with my husband. We need to take some time as husband and wife, and a break from mommy and daddy for an evening. Thanks in advance. |
Anonymous
| I find that when we try to come up with a special date, especially when we did not have regular date nights, we always wound up being a bit disappointed bc our expectations for the evening were so high. I suggest just going to a favorite restaurant, particularly one where you don't go with your DC and one with good drinks, and trying hard to talk about things other than DC! I recognize some may find this next statement unusual, but I often will really scan the paper that day to prep a good adult conversation starter. Also we like to see a show or movie early, then go to dinner afterwards bc we can talk about what we saw. My DH and i do not lack for conversation but we often find ourselves slipping into talk of our DC when on a date, so we make a conscious effort not to do so. |
Anonymous
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I agree with PP that sometimes it can backfire to try and make it "super special."
But think back to some things you liked to do together when dating and see if you can do one of those. I loved just going to Barnes and Noble, browsing, buying a book, sitting down and having a coffee and talking about it. Goofy, I know, but we had fun, and when we do it now, it just feels like "our thing." I don't know if you work or not, but my husband and I take off an afternoon each month and spend together, going out to lunch, catching a movie, just staying at home. Our kid is in day care so his routine doesn't get messed up and there are no extra babysitting costs. And I "know" it's tough financially to swing regular date nights, but I found that doing it on a more regular basis helped us connect more. If your daughter goes to bed late, does she also wake up late? Could you guys get up early on weekends or something, enjoy breakfast and the paper in bed? Working in that type of thing can help a lot. |
Anonymous
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"My DH and i do not lack for conversation but we often find ourselves slipping into talk of our DC when on a date, so we make a conscious effort not to do so."
Ditto. Other off-limit topics include finances, household projects, work, and anything else that puts a damper on sex. |
Anonymous
| We like to go to a local restaurant and sit at the bar and have dinner. We used to regularly go to happy hours before kids, and we are still bar flies deep down I guess. We also sometimes go on 1/2 price burger night or 1/2 price wine night, so its cheaper. In Loudoun, I would go to Sweetwater Tavern, Lightfoot, or down to Reston TC for Mon Ami Gabi or Rio Grande. I'm sure there are lots of other places though that would work. Have fun! |
Anonymous
| I'm not in Loudon County but here goes. Bowling is fun and gives you 2 something different to do. We have gone to the mall, just strolling around, when weather's bad, then ate at a restaurant. It's fun just to get out of the house and feel like you don't have to rush. We also like to meet another couple for dinner / brunch, sometimes we get there early and hang out at the bar -- reminds us of dating. If there's a place w/ live music, go, even if you don't like the music - gives you something to talk about. For a date night we went to some very lame comedy night, hated it, and left early. We still laugh about it, and how much we just enjoyed making fun of the performers. (That sounds mean, sorry -- but even a 'bad' date night is great.) We avoid movies b/c we don't have time to connect/talk. |
Anonymous
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We have fairly frequent date nights thanks to some close-by grandparents, and often they are last-minute. So here's what we do:
- dinner at a decent but not-too-nice restaurant (usually early, like at 6pm) - shopping/browsing - this includes browsing high-end appliances at lowes - grocery shopping at wegman's - home depot runs - Ikea Mostly, we just hang out and unwind and enjoy our relaxation time without the kids. |
Anonymous
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Thank you all for your ideas.. The girl that was going to babysit for us just had something happen in her family, so she's going to be tied up for a while. We don't have any family in the area, so unfortunately, I don't know when we're going to be able to do it. Our marriage and our sanity so desperately need it though.. I just have to find a way to make it happen.
I know that in laws and family living close can be annoying sometimes, but those of you who have it, please embrace it, and love having support to be able to do things with your spouse alone! The PP who suggested doing stuff in the morning before she wakes up I thank you, that's a great idea, and I can try to do that.. My husband works overnight though, so him being awake in the morning is rare, but it's worth a try. Thanks again everyone. |
Anonymous
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Well, for something on the more adventurous side, you can take a lesson, like rock/wall climing or something. Or if you can take a day trip, head out someplace scenic and pretty, take a hike, maybe end up at a nice restaurant or bar. You can check out www.excitations.com for other ideas (e.g., I got my hubs a shooting gift certificate -- shooting clay pigeons, not actual animals).
Never a bad idea to try something on the 'funner' side of fun. |
Anonymous
OMG, these are date nights? I'd be a bit upset, but I guess it's not about what you do, but whether you have fun with the person you're with. These are things we do with our DS so I'd be pretty bummed if these were our dates. |
Shopmom
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| My husband and I like to go to our favorite steak houses, or a wine bar. We've also been known to see several movies into the late night at the theater. We enjoy our home, so we often invite other couples over for date nights in our home since we like to entertain. Also a weekend away at a boutique/upscale hotel is always fun, but can get expensive if you already have a nice home. |
Anonymous
Haha I know, we're lame. We also stay in and play video games or watch a movie (but that doesn't apply to OP since they have a sitter and can't relocate the kid) or have some 'grown up time' (which entails going to bed early if the kids are staying with the grandparents overnight). Or we'll get together with friends. We have 2 kids, so running errands with a 1 yo and 3 yo are fast in-and-out ordeals, not relaxed. So we take advantage of the fact that we can take our time! |