After having children, it can be so easy for parents to disconnect from one another. Work, exhaustion, lack of communication, and more can cause a couple to slowly drift apart. That’s why occasional ‘date nights’ are so important.
Happy couple → happy parents → happy child(ren) → happy family
While we don’t have a regular pattern of when we take time out just for ourselves (ie weekly or monthly), my husband and I do try to set aside ‘together’ time every now and then. Sometimes we will go out to eat or check local cinema times to see what new movies are playing. Other times we just relax at home, talk, do some things around the house, take a stroll, etc. The important thing is to kind of get to know each other again as friends and not just as parents to your children. This also applies to couples without children as it can be easy to lose touch with one another.
Children will not feel left out if you help them to understand that it’s a wonderful thing to have parents that are happily married. In fact, they may even encourage your spending time alone. Once in a while we will have our daughter stay overnight with family or do something fun with friends. The last time she did this she said, “Good bye. Get an expensive dinner and fun!” Silly girl.
Despite the busy schedule you both may have, taking time out for each other will not only benefit the relationship between you and your spouse but will add to the overall happiness of the whole family. Do you schedule ‘dates’ with your husband/wife?
