As a parent, there are two things that often stand in the way of planning a "date night" with your significant other: time and money.
Fathers and mothers, especially working parents, often feel guilty about leaving their children to do something on their own. However, some relationship experts say time spent having fun as a couple is necessary for the long-term health of your relationship.
When it comes to money, many fathers think that a night out with their significant other is simply too expensive. Between paying a babysitter as well as what you spend on food, drink and entertainment, a simple trip to the movies could end up costing as much as $100 or more.
Dads can save money on a babysitter by enlisting the help of a family member like a parent or sibling to watch the kids for free. Families that don’t have family living nearby, or willing, to help out may want to try setting up a babysitting swap with another couple.
The date itself doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive either. Consider cheaper nights out like pizza and wine at a BYOB restaurant, coffee and dessert at a coffee shop, café or bookstore, or even going to a nicer restaurant but opting to order appetizers at the bar instead of a full meal in the dining room.
Hiring a babysitter can provide you and your spouse an opportunity to spend some alone-time together, to enjoy some time free of to-do-lists and time demands. Maybe the two of you will do nothing, a blissful absence of activity, but merely sitting in the park and silently watching the world go by. You may spend time doing something relaxing that you both enjoy (perhaps an evening at the opera or taking in a game at the stadium). You might even go on a romantic weekend get-away in time for Valentine’s Day. Whatever it takes for you to recharge your batteries and reconnect as husband and wife, that is what you can do.
Hiring a babysitter so that you and your spouse can maintain your marriage and your positive perspective involves good communication between parents and babysitter, just as hiring a babysitter for any other reason requires good communication. Let the babysitter know where you will be and how you can be reached. Ensure that she knows under what circumstances you are (and are not) to be contacted. Give the babysitter an expectation of when she can expect you to return home. Provide the babysitter with emergency medical numbers, food for appropriate snacks, toys or other entertainment that may be planned for the time that she will be with your kids, etc.
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