Make a Standing Date with Your Spouse

My husband and I have a standing nightly date with each other. After the kids are in bed, we curl up on the couch and talk.

It's not dinner at a fancy French restaurant. It's not dancing at the local hot spot until 3 a.m. It's so much better.

You see, there was a time we fell into the trap of kid-free downtime meaning my husband went off and relaxed in one room on the computer and I hit the DVR for a movie just to unwind in another room.

You've heard me preach about the importance of me-time for moms but there's a fine balance between time for the kids, time for you and time for your spouse. It's definitely a juggling act.

So we make sure to connect every day without computers, mobile phones or TV ruling our lives. It's also a nice break to have some real adult conversation without having to speak loudly over kids who are setting world records for breaking the sound barrier.

Every night is our night. Oh sure, we're sometimes interrupted by last-minute requests from little kids wanting a drink of water or bad dreams keeping them up at night. Life happens.

But that's okay. We get in our time together 99.9% of the time and that keeps us strong, makes us a better team and recharges us for another round of kid raising the next day.

We're not perfect, of course. It's just that having our standing date at home each night is something we both look forward to and it's a lot cheaper than a babysitter 7 days a week!

Related Resources:

• Conversation Starters for Couples
• Cheap Date Ideas for Parents
• Balance Children and Married Life

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