We all know the importance of finding time to be with our partner.
But it isn't easy to arrange, let alone find, a sitter. Add in the fatigue we feel every day as parents, along with all the "adulting" we have to do ... and the couch looks better and better.
But finding time together is important. In fact, two researchers from the Minnesota Population Center at the University of Minnesota found in a 2016 study that married couples are happier and more fulfilled when they are together rather than apart -- which means it's not only important for your relationship, but for your own self-care, to spend time with your partner.
So find the time. Don't limit yourself to just the hours after dark either. In fact, a daytime date can be as memorable -- or even more so -- than your usual date night movie-and-dinner.
Here are five ideas for easy daytime dates with your partner:
1. Visit a spa.
A couples massage is an intimate experience that can leave you both feeling blissful and connected. Check for mid-day specials at your favorite spa.
2. Go shopping together.
Take a walk at your local mall and hold hands. Go out for a decadent lunch then go shopping for the kids. Go to your favorite art galleries and find the piece you wish you could buy together.
3. Do something you'd do with the kids.
A visit to a favorite amusement park, a museum, or even a pottery painting place will be a totally different experience when it's just you and your partner. Enjoy the time together and make memories for just the two of you ... ones you can call up with a smile next time you're there with the kids.
4. Take a class together.
What's your mutual interest? Cooking? Exercising? Rock climbing? Whatever your mutual interest, find a class or instructor who can offer lessons at a time that works for both of you.
5. Be a tourist in your own city.
Go on a winery tour, a food tour, or even hop on one of those tourist trap buses! Pretending to be a tourist in your own hometown can make it seem like you're on a getaway -- even if that getaway is only three hours long.
We know you love your kids. You know you love your kids. But we can all use a few hours to remember who we are without them and why we fell in love with our partner. You can be guaranteed that alone-time with your partner -- no matter what time of day -- is time well-spent.
Carissa Garabedian is the publisher of Know Different and mother to a special needs child in Richmond, Virginia. Carissa also publishes the award-winning Macaroni Kid of Richmond, VA.
