Having a baby can be stressful to any relationship, sleepless nights, constant care and the non-stop demand of a newborn can leave a couple worn out and just wanting sleep, peace or rest more than anything else. However, as with anything, the baby will grow and the parents will get more sleep.
Yet, despite the fact that sleep may return to normal, the day-to-day lifestyle begins to perceptibly shift. Concerns about errands, your children’s activities and your own can begin to overwhelm the need to take a night out for just the two of you. Being parents means that you tend to list yourself as last on the list for ‘fun’ or ‘down-time.’ It seems selfish to want to be away from your kids or just have a night where the two of you can go out together and be a couple rather than being parents.
While it might seem a little selfish, it’s actually a very important bit of selfish because all healthy relationships need to have time spent on them. If it’s a matter of not being able to find a babysitter, offer to swap with another couple. You take care of their kids for one evening a week so they can go out and they can take care of yours the following week. Many daycares, Churches and other organizations offer ‘parents night out’ – usually a four-hour window of time where your kids enjoy planned activities and you enjoy a few hours together.
Date nights aren’t the only way to keep romance alive. Little notes left in a place your spouse or partners are sure to find them. You can send flowers, cook a favorite dinner or even just curl up together on a sofa after the children have gone to bed to watch a movie. Time with your spouse is precious and should be treated as such. Don’t let the pressures and stresses of life let you take another person for granted.
