At times, my husband and I have been intentional about making time for dates- and it’s always worth the effort.  With two kids and busy schedules, we have to be flexible with what the term, date, actually means. For us, it simply means a time set apart to connect, just the two of us.  For instance, this Saturday, our son had to be dropped off for his football game an hour and a half before it started, and since we were in an unfamiliar cute town, we took the opportunity to sneak off, get coffee and explore- nothing fancy, but it was nice to have that time together.

When our kids were younger, the need for a babysitter was what kept us from dating more often.  Eventually, we figured out that many of our friends with young kids were in the same boat- so we started trading babysitting services with each other.  That was a big win for everyone. 

Now that both our kids are tween/teen age, the issue is no longer babysitting.  It’s finding enough time to get away when one or the other doesn’t need a ride to or from some activity.  Car-pooling has saved the day here.

The point is, I believe that dating your spouse is important and should be a high priority, no matter the effort involved in making it happen.  My husband and I have room for improvement here.  Lately, we’ve been having a hard time thinking of fun ideas for dates.  So I made a list.  I’m sharing it here, in hopes that it can inspire you as well.