Now if your first thought is, “What date night?” then this might be a timely post. Depending on your season of life, date nights can look very differently. If you are young with no children or are empty nesters, you may find date nights fairly easy to put together. But if you are like so many of my clients who have children living at home – running them to soccer practice, baseball, gymnastics, and the list goes on, date night might feel like just another obligation to add to the list. But maybe it doesn’t have to be.
I want to suggest three different kinds of dates that many couples have found helpful.
First, is the “Unexpected date.” Perhaps your parents have called and asked if the grandkids could come and spend the night. What a great opportunity to take a break from your normal parenting tasks and do something fun, and perhaps even reconnecting, together.
Second, is the “Annual date,” and I don’t just mean on your wedding anniversary. This could be going to the restaurant where went on your first date. Or maybe you always go to the first baseball game of the season together. Whatever it might be, could become a tradition.
Third, try a “Get out of your comfort zone date.” Try something you haven’t done before. For example, my wife recently booked us for an art class which advertises that you will produce a picture suitable for framing. For someone like me who can’t draw a straight line with a ruler, this will be interesting. But it will be new and fun and I am looking forward to this experience with her.
So, if you have found your dating life in a rut or even non-existent, try one, or all, of these approaches. I would love to hear the results.