Dating your spouse can be hard as kids, work, and the military fills up your time.
They can/will be/are gone a lot, and it can be challenging to keep that connection. Whether you’re quarantining with a spouse returning from training, can’t get a sitter, or just looking for a night home, here are some ideas for a date night in. These are things that will have you eating, playing, talking, and spending quality time with your spouse instead of your spouse making you run a marathon together or refinishing all your furniture in a night.
Cooking Night
When my oldest daughter was born, date night suddenly felt complicated. It took me a year before I felt comfortable hiring a babysitter. So in that year, we got creative. Sometime in the late end of the first ear, she learned to sleep and it was magical. I started to have slightly more energy (sleeping more than 4 hours in a row!), and my husband and I stumbled onto a date idea we still do. We like to call it Crepes After Dark.
We decided to try our hand at dessert crepes after putting our daughter to bed. Nothing fancy, just a simple crepe recipe and a non-stick pan from our wedding with which I’ve mastered *just* the right swirling technique.
I loved Crepes After Dark because they were delicious. I also loved them because we slowed down and just enjoyed cooking together. The recipe wasn’t intensive, and we split jobs. I was the crepe maker while my husband made spiced apples. It’s a little easier to get a babysitter now, but we still come back to Crepes after Dark.
For us, cooking WITHOUT CHILDREN is relaxing and fun. It doesn’t have to be crepes – brownies, dumplings whatever you love – but making it together can be fun! If that’s too much, try take-out when the kids are in bed.
Date Night Subscription Boxes-
If you’re looking for something with little planning or work on your part, check out one of these date night boxes.
- Crated With Love
- Hunt A Killer (Murder Mystery Subscription)
- Date Box Club
The subscriptions aren’t cheap and most start at $30+. But if you’re not paying for a sitter or can’t leave your house, it might be worth it.
Paint and Sip Virtual Class
If you’re not Zoomed out, even more craft and painting classes have popped up this year. Most classes have a fee of $15-$20, and you can order supplies ahead of time. The painting class will send a list and once you’ve gathered your supplies, you can link up with them on Zoom or the platform they choose.
Taste Off
I always love a good Taste Off after the kids go to bed. We rate whatever we’re trying and never share with our kids. Our favorites to put to the test have been root beer, flavored chips, microwave popcorn, and cheeses. I assume you could taste test with healthier food, but it’s date night and I haven’t wanted to sample a variety of salad greens for fun.
Board Games
We haven’t always had the large, many couple game nights of my dreams because my kids sleep best and only in their beds. This means I’m always looking for games that are fun, interactive, and work with 2 people.
I prefer if they don’t make you feel sad that there is no one else to play with. Some of our favorites are Quiddler, Five Crowns, Ticket to Ride, and (when we feel like testing our relationship) Monopoly!
