Spit-up On My Shoulder

It’s my birthday, so hubby and I are going on a date tonight. Yea! Date nights are so important to a relationship, but I sure remember how hard it was to fit them in when we had a baby in the house.

Here is some information about a recent survey on new moms and date nights, along with tips for staying connected from parenting guru, Stacey DeBroff. Follow her tips and get out there!

A nationwide survey of 1,000 moms of children 24 months and under, conducted by CVS/pharmacy for its new Playskool Baby Care line, revealed that 83% of new moms spend less time going out with their husband/partner now than before having a child. It’s also the pastime they miss the most.

Stacy DeBroff, founder of MomCentral.com, offers moms these helpful ideas on spending more time with their spouses:

• Write “date night” in pen on the calendar, and treat it almost like a doctor’s appointment, that is, something that is not changeable.

• When you do go out, don’t go to a movie or someplace else where there is no opportunity for conversation – work out together side by side at the gym or walk around a museum, and then go to dinner.

• Limit conversation about the kids to the first 15 minutes, then make it off limits for the rest of the evening.

• There’s nothing like picking up a new hobby together, especially if both partners are learning it at the same time — it means no one is the expert. Taking classes together can become real bonding time.

• Try sneaking away for an occasional lunch together. A lunch date is a great way to reconnect and escape the drudgery of everyday details.

• Twice a year, schedule a getaway weekend, even it means scrambling to find family members or others to watch the children.

• If you can’t get out, make a point of planning a once-a-week dinner together at home after the kids are asleep.

• Often we’re so busy running around that we forget the power of the written word. Taking the time to write a card or draft an email reminding the other person of the top five reasons you love them is a fabulous connector.

Do you have other suggestions about finding time for date nights? Send them to me by clicking the Contact Melanie button under my picture and I’ll put them in a future post.

Another idea is to form a babysitting cooperative. Find other families you’d trust to watch your kids, and trade off babysitting all the children while one couple goes out.