A few years ago, before my husband and I became parents, we were pretty awesome at keeping a regular date night. And we had good date ideas—our excursions tended to be big and bougie. We would try new and exciting restaurants around the city, take day trips to a nearby, off-the-beaten-path beach, or even sneak in a weekend getaway to a city we had yet to explore. As time passed and we added two young girls to our family, our monthly date nights became an afterthought. We don’t have the time, money, or energy we once had to invest in planning our time together.
I have to admit that I’ve had to work through my fair share of wounds with my husband when, post-babies, date night fell by the wayside. We recently recommitted to making intentional time for the two of us into a recurring theme on our calendar. But I’ve had to adjust my expectations for how we make date night doable and meaningful for our marriage in this season. I honestly can say our new date night routine is bringing life and joy to both of us. If, in your season, you also need connection but it needs to be quick, here are 10 two-hour date night ideas for busy parents.
When You Have A Babysitter (Or The Kids Are Old Enough to Stay Home Alone)
1. Catch a Concert
Get tickets for when your favorite musician is in town or check out a band you’ve been wanting to see. If no tours are coming close to your city, listen to some great live music like you’re kids again.
2. Day Date
Visit your city’s Saturday farmer’s market and help each other build a bouquet of your favorite locally-grown flowers. If you don’t have a farmer’s market, have brunch with bae at your breakfast spot of choice.
3. Movie Matinee
See a matinee movie any random afternoon to get out of the daily routine rut. Make sure to enjoy your favorite snack.
4. Scooter Your City
Head downtown, rent electric scooters, and scoot around. Explore a part of town you haven’t visited in a while and have some coffee and a conversation at your favorite local cafe. If scooters aren’t available, opt for bikes instead.
5. Walk it Out
Take a walk or hike together and then grab a smoothie or something refreshing to drink. At tense times in marriage, I’ve found this to be a great way to get my husband to open up and create some space to work through misunderstandings.
When You Don’t Have a Babysitter
6. Happy Hour Hangs
Once your kids are asleep, take your favorite drinks into your back yard or onto your porch and watch the sunset. This is a great way to decompress after a long day.
7. Nerf Gun Battle
Kids asleep. Draw the curtains. Break out the Nerf guns. Battle royale.
8. Song & Dance
Create a Spotify playlist of your favorite love songs. Turn the lights down, light some candles, slide the toys out of the way, and slow dance in the living room. You’ll feel 23 again.
9. Dessert Dreams
After the kids are asleep, team up to make your favorite dessert together. As you bake, spend some time chatting about a dream of yours. It can be big or small. The point is that it’s something you can work on accomplishing together.
10. Netflix & Chill
Pick a few of your favorite shows to catch up on, pop some popcorn, and cuddle up on the couch. Make it a goal to stay touching for your entire TV time and see where it leads.
Dates should never be boring! Explore more ideas.
What are your favorite, good date ideas for busy moms and dads?
