THE IMPORTANCE OF DATE NIGHT
As a parent it’s hard to put myself first at times; going on a date night can feel selfish in some ways…. After all it is a night of leaving the kids out to focus on myself and my marriage. However, it’s important to make time for date nights with your spouse. The purpose of dating as a married couple with children is to spend one-on-one time together without interruption. It offers a chance to show interest in each other and stay close friends.
After being married for almost ten years we are now finally figuring out how to make weekly date nights happen. It seems like we are always busy and I’m constantly filling our calendar so tightly that date night was becoming a last priority. One night the power went out so we lit some candles and played a board game instead of wasting our time on electronic devices. We quickly discovered that date nights don’t have to be drawn out expensive excursions; the important part is stepping away from everyday chaos to focus on each other.
The first step to make date night a priority is finding out what works best for you. For us we decided that we would alternate going out and staying in every other week. On the nights we stay in we try to put the kids to bed a little earlier than usual. We turn off all distractions and focus on each other. Sometimes we eat a late dinner together just us, bake a new recipe, watch movies or play board games. On the nights we go out, I arrange for someone to watch the kids and plan something we wouldn’t normally get to do if the kids were tagging along. I look forward to both staying in and going out because it keeps things new and interesting without breaking the bank. A lot of friends often say they can’t afford a sitter. We often ask family if they’d like quality time with their grandkids or nephews. If you don’t have family in town you could also ask a close friend if they’d like to do swaps. One week they go out and the next you get a turn.
Date nights are easy to get off course from. I’m hoping that The Playful Parent’s Date Night Series can help bring fun and romantic ideas that will inspire couples to get out and have fun and enjoy being friends and lovers.
SERIES #1- SKYZONE
So without further ado, The Playful Parent brings to you the first Date Night Series!
My husband and I have always loved watching Ninja Warrior. We were watching it way before it was cool. Anyways, when I found out that the new Sky Zone in White Plains, Maryland had a warrior course I knew it was the perfect date night activity. While the three courses ultimately test your agility, strength, and determination; it was also a great way to show encouragement to your spouse. There were times when I thought I couldn’t possibly complete an obstacle but when I heard my husband’s strong and supportive words it gave me the confidence I needed to believe in myself. It’s hard to remember that our spouse needs to hear positive words of encouragement just as much as our kids do. I know it boosted my husband up when I told him he is strong. It definitely was awesome to hear my hubby say that I’m the type of woman who can do anything I put my mind too! We most certainly pushed each other to advance beyond a level we would have done on our own and completed the course feeling uplifted and strong unit.
During our jump time we also enjoyed jumping on the trampolines and diving into the giant foam pit. It was nice to relax and act like kids again. We even took part in a few rounds of dodgeball. I of course had a ball throwing out silly jokes from one of my favorite past time movies. I practiced all the five d’s of dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive and…dodge! During our game we ended up on opposite teams and indulged in some healthy competition.
It is most certainly a misconception that Sky Zone is just for kids. Sky Zone is definitely the perfect place for adults to hang out too. It was an exciting and entertaining date night excursion and I highly recommend it!
SKY ZONE
4390 Crain Hwy
White Plains, MD 20695
http://www.skyzone.com/waldorf
Price Range:$15-20 per person
***Thank you Sky Zone for inviting The Playful Parent out to your amazing trampoline park so that we could share this awesome experience with other parents***
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