Date Night Ideas After Baby

Date nights are essential for literally all marriages at any stage. Marriage or partnership while raising littles is hard. When you have little people or big bosses (or both) that need you constantly, your marriage does not come first (or even second or third) very often. Many days, my marriage looks like wars over the dishes in the sink, dirty socks laying on the floor next to the clothes hamper instead of inside of it, and forgetting to take out the chicken for dinner. After baby, it is especially important to date your spouse as you both grow into your roles as Mom and Dad. Date night ideas can still be fun and creative even in the mundane of normal married life with kids!

Stay In The Car

A very wise friend told me on my wedding day that marriage is not a destination but rather a long road trip. The trip is long and sometimes extremely trying, but you must always stay in the car. Work things out together, take different routes, but figure it out instead of stopping the car. The key for us is making sure the beauty of our marriage is never out shadowed by the strains, and that we never get out of the car. Doing this means being intentional with our marriage and choosing to make it a priority among the sea of responsibilities. 

Date Night Ideas With Your Spouse After Baby

On our first wedding anniversary, I created a DIY date night jar for my husband as gift. We did not have children yet, but I knew as the speed of our lives accelerated with our careers and home ownership that date night still needed to be a priority even when the timer seemed to be running out. Plus, the traditional gift for the first year is paper, so it worked out well! After our first child turned one, we dug the date night jar out and made a commitment to use the jar at least once a month, even if we needed to modify the date a bit. Sometimes its at night, sometimes during the day, sometimes with kids when necessary, but always worth it. Not only is it fun to do something different each month, it takes the decision out of things and keeps us accountable to our marriage. For major inspiration, snag this ebook with almost 200 additional date night ideas from one of my favorite moms!

DIY Date Night Jar

The creation cost is minimal involving an empty mason jar and paper cut into strips. My cheesy hopeless romantic side definitely comes out in my date descriptions, so have fun with it! Include inside jokes and make it personal to your area and your tastes. I have included a portion of date night ideas that I included below (the ones I would not mind my children reading) and in a printable below to make it easy to print and cut. What are your favorite dates for us to add to our list? Happy dating!

1. Make homemade pasta and sauce together. Make sure to grab the wine!
2. How romantic! Pack a picnic lunch and head to the park with a blanket.
3. Dinner date downtown- His choice!
4. Dinner date downtown- Her choice!
5. Go to the store and buy the fixins’ for make your own taco night.
6. Find a new brewery or winery and go on a tasting.
7. No horsing around! Let’s go horseback riding together.
8. Don’t worry, I will catch you if you fall! Let’s go ice skating together and grab hot cocoa/coffee.
9. Geek out! Let me beat you in Laser Quest.
10. Get in bed, and write a real love letter for the other person. Hide it somewhere for them to find.
11. Let’s take a trip to the zoo!
12. Plan a weekend beach getaway! You pick the beach and let’s go!
13. Vroom Vroom. Rent a luxury sports car for one day and let’s take a drive.
14. Play poker at home (the fun kind.)
15. Long bike ride together on a sunny day.
16. Take a trip to the aquarium.
17. Hit up the wine bar for some Italian wine and a delicious cheese board.
18. You’re the apple of my eye! Let’s go apple picking.
19. We fit together so nicely. Pick a really hard puzzle to complete together.
20. You are too sweet! Dessert date at the chocolate bar.
21. You are a hole in one! Time for some mini-golf.
22. On a clear summer night, grab a blanket and stargaze.
23. You “bowl me over” with your love. Go bowling together.
24. Make homemade pizza together and try some new toppings.
25. Grab a blanket and some food and prepare for a picnic.
26. Spend the day volunteering together.
27. Sign up for a 5k race together. We can do it!
28. TV show marathon! Pick a brand new show (or an oldie but a fav) and watch a whole season.
29. Board game night. Stay in and play Monopoly!
30. Sign up for dance lessons. I am going to sweep you off your feet!
31. Movie marathon! Star Wars or Harry Potter.
32. Go to a bar and play trivia together.
33. Trip to the movies- your choice!
34. Choose a book you have wanted to read and let’s read it out loud to each other.
35. I am hoping to “score” with you! Buy tickets to a sporting event.
36. Let’s relax! His and her massages.
37. Life would be rough without you! Plan a camping trip.
38. Pretty feet! His and her pedicures together.
39. Video game night for two! Pick a game and let’s go.
40. Pick an adventure at the whitewater rafting center.
41. Stay in and play 20 questions. Each person writes 20 questions for the other and get caught up on life.
42. You are such a catch! Let’s go fishing.
43. My heart could “pop” with love for you! Pop some popcorn and pop in a movie.
44. Head to the grocery and buy some exotic ingredients for a new recipe at home.
45. Time to act like kids! Build a blanket fort fit for two.
46. Order in Chinese food and eat by candlelight.
47. Take a trip to the amusement park and ride the coasters.
48. House hunting time! Find some open houses or book some showings for a dream house.
49. Plan a luxury vacation to an exotic location. Even if we can’t go right now, there is fun in the planning.
50. Get dressed up, get in the car and let’s see where we end up.

All the best,