Date Night – Quarantine Style

Without warning, we are in a BRAND NEW phase of marriage and parenting. We are stuck together all day every day, juggling a job (or the loss of a job). The kids are now home, so we are also trying to figure out how to home school, keep up with house work, cook for kids that are always hungry, and there are endless opportunities to drive each other crazy!!

This is a season where setting a couple hours apart to re-connect with your spouse is more important than ever.

Institutionalizing “date night” is not only fun, it can protect your marriage from deterioration and it can keep you and your spouse more healthy, happy and able to manage your life stressors.

Jame C Williamson, PhD

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How date night helps: 

I love being a mom, and one thing that helps me love it so much, is taking little breaks from my kids. I also love being married, and date night helps Ted and I reconnect and remember why we got married.

Taking a little time APART from the kids and WITH your spouse strengthens both your parenting AND your marriage!

My relationship with Ted started before we had children. I want it to remain strong during this challenging phase of parenthood, and keep thriving AFTER our children are grown!

Regular date nights build resilience to carry your marriage relationship during the challenging times.

 JULIE BAUMGARDNER

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How “quarantine date night” works: 

1. Get dressed up! (Taking a shower, putting on some makeup and doing my hair suddenly feels LUXURIOUS! When you look good, you feel good.)
2. Order take out. (If you are on a tight budget, cook together.)
3. One spouse picks up food, while the other feeds the kids.
4. Put the kids to bed or set the kids up in another room to watch a pre-approved movie.
5. Enjoy a delicious dinner and conversation. Add some candles and music to really make it special.

Date night doesn’t have to be extravagant to make a significant positive impact on your marriage. Don’t let the tyranny of the urgent crowd out nurturing your relationship. It’s well worth the investment.

JULIE BAUMGARDNER

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If you aren’t sure what to talk about after being together all day, every day! Here are some ideas.

Questions to ask:

• Have you listened to any good podcasts this week?
• Read anything interesting?
• Had any memorable conversations?
• How are you doing…really doing?  
• What do I do that makes you feel loved?
• What can I do to support or encourage you?
• What do you remember about the first time we met?
• What do you remember about our first date? 
• What’s your most embarrassing moment? (prepare to laugh)
• What are some things that we used to do that you would like to do again? What did you most enjoy about those things? 
• What things about our life together make you happy?
• What’s something you’d like to do together that we’ve never done?
• What was the last thing I did for you that you really enjoyed? What made it so pleasant for you? 
• What makes us a good team? What could we do to be an even better team? 

We hope you and your spouse get to do a Quarantine Date Night! If you do, leave me a comment!

Click here for a good podcast on how Sara Blakely (Spanx) and her husband Jesse Itzler are surviving the quarantine with four little kids, while running their businesses.

Click here for another excellent podcast on connecting with your spouse by Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley.

Click here for 55 ways to keep your kids busy!

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