Date Your Spouse

I’m finally sitting down to write after spending over an hour (read that again, and then again, and then again for over an hour and that’s how long it took) getting my daughter to sleep! Can I get a witness?

I spend a lot of time with my kids, as I should, but what I want to tell you, what I want you to hear today, is this: dating your spouse is SO important. It's important to carve out time to reconnect, plan, dream, vent, share, etc. with each other. Oh and it's a good refresher on their beautiful face you hardly get time to look at any more after having kids.  

For many of our 13 years of marriage I assumed “dating” my husband should look like it did before we were married; movies at a movie theater, dinner out, etc. Since nothing else in our lives look the same way as before, I finally realized that our alone time could also look different. But for many years I struggled with envy and regret that I didn’t have a date night out with my husband every week. This lead to some hard feelings toward my sweet (unknowing) hubby!

If I really looked at our time together I would see that we really did date each other, all the time. We spend countless hours snuggled up together watching our favorite shows and sneaking in special drinks and desserts long after putting the kids in bed. We would grab a coffee from the church’s café, and sit and talk while the kids were in their church classes. And we would make time to celebrate our anniversary, special dates, and occasions together.

Depending on the season of your life you may not have the ability to “go out” each and every week, but take heart- you can still date your spouse. When talking to other couples about dating I hear two major reasons why dates don’t happen often: time and money. So here are some time and budget-friendly suggestions so you can start dating your spouse right away:

Date at Home

                                                     This is a simple, and even can be a free, way to get some quality time in with your spouse. We try to do these after putting the kids to bed.

-share a snack, dessert, drinks, or even a late dinner together

-watch a show on tv, Netflix, YouTube, or a movie together

-turn off electronics and read a book, play a board game, work a jigsaw puzzle, or plan an adventure together

-plan a fun, themed night in with your hubby based on a movie, dessert, destination, or topic

-turn the lights down, light a fire and some candles, and talk

-sit outside together and watch the sunset or take coffee out early in the morning and watch the sunrise

-make-out (hey, it's free AND fun)

Dates Outside the Home

-save money by only going out for a portion of a meal as in appetizers and drinks or dessert and coffee

-swap date nights with friends to save on babysitter costs

-use season passes you have for the family to museums, water or amusement parks, etc. to go alone with your spouse

-go camping or star gazing in the backyard

-get creative at your local dollar stores, with dollar menu items, and at the dollar movies

-take a walk, play at the park, go fishing or have a picnic at a nearby lake

Family or Group Dates

Who says you can’t have a date with your entire family and/or friends? Include them on your next adventure out! Find deals on group-buying sites, ask friends with season passes who can get guests in for free or at a discount, or use coupons to make it more cost effective.

Dating Divas 

I have hit the jackpot! Visit this site (www.thedatingdivas.com) to get simply wonderful ideas on creative dates, gifts, and more. They even have ways you can spice up and strengthen your marriage.

Whatever you and your spouse enjoy just be intentional about being together, and communicate your needs along the way, too.

What are some of your favorite ways to date your spouse?