You Absolutely Need A Date This Weekend
"Why aren't you going on a date tonight?" My daughter had noticed it was 6 on a Saturday night and I was sitting outside reading while she played.
I had been out of town for the better part of a week and thinking it would be nice to hang out with the kids, we skipped our usual date night. This break with the "typical" was noticed, commented on, and met with a slightly melancholy shrug from our first-born.
Perhaps my kids are addicted to our exceptional array of babysitters (you know who you are!) or maybe they want a break from the routine. It's possible both things are true. However, what our kids REALLY understand is we make our date nights a priority. They see that once a week we put our time with each other OVER time with them, and they seem to appreciate it.
Our weekly date routine started when the kids were infants and has honestly been a keystone habit that's improved the quality of our marriage. Date nights are where we can...
Unwind our stress
Connect and build our understanding of each other
Rejuvenate our romance
Eat tasty food
Remember what's working AND have space for addressing what's not
We spend lots of time with newlyweds in our small group and while most of them don't have a ton of financial resources, we encourage them to prioritize their time out together.
The math of date nights is STILL much less than counseling ($100-$300/ session) and much MUCH less than divorce. And while the negative costs of a marriage gone wrong are quantifiable, what can't be measured are the benefits of what happens when your relationship stays right.
Sure, date nights do not a healthy marriage make, but it certainly won't hurt (how's THAT for making a point!).
There's still time to make a little romance this weekend. Call your sitter today!