Anyone who knows me or is friends with me on Facebook has seen that Greg and I regularly have ‘date nights’ and we tend to tell the world about them. LOL I like to be an example for others in all that I do (aren’t we all modeling all the time?) and I cannot tell you how many married couples I know who do NOT go out on ‘dates’ with their spouses. So I figure by posting about ours maybe a marriage will be saved – who knows!? I always seem to have lofty goals. 
So why do we call it date night? I mean we live together, we see each other all the time, what’s so special about date night? Well, there is a huge change in the energy when you call it a date night! Especially in a busy household with 3 kids. If we just at the last minute decide to run out for dinner alone, or to a movie, it isn’t the same. When we plan a date night, it’s so much more special!
One person has to ask the other person out. We instantly become each other’s girlfriend/boyfriend again. Then, because one person gets to plan the whole thing, there is the fun factor for the person who is in charge of it but the other person also gets to feel special, because of the attention their spouse is putting on the relationship. Even if it is only once a month, it feels special to plan to show your spouse a good time.
Then there is the night of the actual date. Knowing you are going out together alone and then taking the time to shower, do your hair (well me at least), put on some nice clothes and get READY for your date adds to the excitement and breaks up the monotony of your every day life. Putting the time into looking great for your spouse and showing them a good time adds life back into the routines of marriage.
Greg will often open the door for me, pull out my chair, pour my wine, and it is so romantic. We hold hands, stop and stare into each others’ eyes sometimes and have even been known to ‘park’ if you know what I mean! We have an unspoken rule (or maybe we did speak it early on?) to not talk about the kids or any family drama. We catch up on each others’ lives as individual adults – reminding us that we are more than Mom and Dad. We laugh, we talk, we have a great time as friends again, after sometimes weeks of routine ‘roommate’ lives, caught up in the daily crazies of having a family with 3 kids.
So when was the last time you went on a date with your husband or wife? A real date where you asked them out, and primped and preened for them and acted like boyfriend and girlfriend? Try it!
I’m going to have my husband read this…we don’t have a date night but we are going to breakfast, instead…but it is always last minute with him.
If I ask him out, does that mean I have to pay? Hmm…I might suggest to him that he ask me out.
LOL Season! I’d say set aside a date night budget then no one has to pay on their own.
Christy – it’s so much more fun when it’s planned!
Robert and I go out for date night each Friday night. He doesn’t ask me out because it’s a set night. He *always* opens my door even though we’ve been married for two years. Sometimes we go out of town and sometimes we just watch movies at home. He brings me flowers frequently but not usually on date night.
So with everyday life seeming like a date, what makes it special? The fact that we call it date night and have “set aside” that night to remind ourselves that we are very much in love and still enjoy dating each other.
We have an awesome relationship as it is and date night is just one of many ways we keep it that way.
My husband and I have had a semi-regular date night every Friday night since we got married 24+ years ago. That was a life-saver through step-kids, our own child, our own drama etc. Sometimes when money was non-existent we went for long walks, sometimes I would make a picnic and we would head for the lake (the lake is a great place to “park”), sometimes I would send the kids to a sleepover and we would have a candle light dinner at home. And of course there is the dinner out. It’s all good!!
Well dang it! No wonder I am single! LOLOLOL!
Seriously though, I love this idea. It might even be a cool thing to do with a child to give them uninterrupted quality time.
Nice post girl!
We were doing date nights last year, but they got a bit boring, so this year we have changed them – they are once a fortnight and we take turns organising them with something to do with the next letter in the alphabet.
Next Saturday is ‘B’ so we are going to see the movie Burlesque!
It’s way more fun planning them now too.
It’s great to hear people are doing this! I love your alphabet idea Anne! For a while we had a weight loss challenge – whoever lost the most weight that month got to orchestrate an extra special date night. Usually we were able to arrange a sleepover at Grandma’s for the kids, too. It was really fun and we splurged a little more for those!