I believe date nights are as good as a holiday. Kind of like a mini holiday treat where you get to reconnect, talk at leisure and concentrate on each other. There are no children to distract you, no daily complications to grind you down and no ruts to fall into. It is just a time to celebrate the life you have together and that is one of the many reasons why date night is so important.
They say a change is as good as a holiday. I think it could be said that date night gives you that much needed change from the daily grind. What kind of changes you ask? Well think about it, when was the last time you were able to be spontaneous together or enjoy each others company without interruption? What a lovely and indulgent change it is! And don’t underestimate the anticipation of the lead up and excitement on the day -some say half the fun of the holiday is in the build up towards it, so suck it all in and enjoy.
My husband and I are hurtling towards our 10 year anniversary (no doubt you will hear plenty about this as we plan our celebrations) but big milestones are begging to be celebrated aren’t they? It’s often when you are plodding along in the marriage on a daily basis that you need a small time out to reconnect with your soul. True, this could be found at a day spa, a shopping trip or even reading a good book outside under a tree, but nothing that I’ve personally experienced beats date night!
My husband and I realised the necessity of date night not too long after our son was born. So, after a couple of years we instigated a monthly date night to refocus on ourselves and have some (what we call) “selfish time”. We call it “selfish time” and are self confessed selfish people, but in reality, date night is so very far from selfish. Taking the time to rejuvenate and keep the marriage alive is probably the biggest and best gift you can give to your children and to each other.
Recently, my husband and I had a date night, well actually it was a date weekend – even better!! We had missed a number of dates over recent months due to other obligations, so, when the opportunity came up to have two full days together we jumped at the chance. Admittedly we spent a small fortune and our next date night will have to be a much less glamorous affair, but boy was it worth it!
Two full days to eat, drink and be merry, it was bliss! There is nothing better than a fabulous sunny day in Sydney. Waking up to views of the harbour, finding fabulous food (don’t worry I am thankfully not intolerant to seafood and Sydney has spectacular seafood), strolling through the Rocks and browsing the designer label shops. The fact that hubby updated my Gucci handbag just topped off an already sensational day.
Back at the hotel you can’t go past the members lounge. In our case it was the Intercontinental where we sipped champagne on the level 31 balcony, chatted over canapés and took in the spectacular views. Back to the room to watch movies, take baths and whatever else takes your fancy must also rank as premium bonding time – but enough about that!
Giving your mind time to unwind does wonders for your own health which is an added bonus to the multitude of pluses date night provides. Relaxing, planning, togetherness, are not usually words that you associate with being part of a family, so taking time out to add those activities into your schedule is an absolute MUST!
So what is holding you back? Get out there. Enjoy each other and come back to your family rejuvenated, refreshed and renewed – just like that post holiday glow 🙂
By the way, I do not apologise for not updating my status, adding a blog post or sending Instagrams over that weekend and would suggest that you do the same….just saying.
What obstacles get in the way of your date nights? How do you overcome them?
