Is Date Night Really Important for a Happy Marriage?

We neglected date nights in 2023! 

We've had a few dates here and there since Jere, our son, came into our lives, but not as much as we want.

We realised that no matter how long we've been together and married, we must continue dating and spending quality time with each other! 

Every romantic date night allows us to connect and have meaningful conversations.

We've been giving our son all our attention without realising this could lead to us drifting apart.

Our kids can take over our whole life now, but 20 years later, they'll move out, and all we will have is each other.

When that day comes, we want to still recognise each other and feel more connected with each other than ever.

We must carve out time to prioritise our marriage and friendship. Since we're committed to making date nights a priority, we're sharing five things we're doing to ensure it happens!

5 Ways to Make Date Nights Happen

Putting Date Night on the Calendar

First things first. Let's make every date night non-negotiable by engraving it on the calendar.

We've decided to have a fun date every other Friday at 8pm.

Aside from ensuring consistency, setting a specific date and time every two weeks gives us something to look forward to.

We're people led by our calendars. So, this leaves us no room for excuses since these Fridays are already blocked on our schedules.

Since we know when our date night will be, it's also easier for us to make arrangements for Jere.

One thing Gabes does in preparation for our date night is to take Jere out can take Jere out to soft play to make him a little bit more tired for his 8 pm bedtime. This also reduces the chances of Jere waking up a night.

That means we can go out and have a fun date without worrying about him.

And we're glad to let you know that so far, so good!

Since we started going on a romantic date night every two weeks this year, it's been helpful to our relationship.

Assigning a Lead to Come Up With a Date Night Idea

Since we're having a date night every two weeks, we take turns planning the date night in a month.

Taking turns planning fun date nights means the responsibility lies not just on one person.

Plus, we can equally experience the joy of giving and receiving.

This also adds variety to our date nights.

We don’t always know what to expect and what’s up in the other person’s sleeves, so that alone is pretty exciting.

Additionally, the element of competition is pretty fun!

We're motivated to outdo each other every two weeks, bringing much excitement.

Going Big Occasionally

Since our date nights will be regular every two weeks, we have to be smart about how we go about them.

We’re definitely keeping it budget-friendly and practical.

After all, our goal during each date night is to connect regularly.

And that means consistency is the most important thing.

But there’s nothing wrong with going big occasionally, especially during special occasions.

Doing these things occasionally can help keep things exciting and more importantly, romantic.

Being Present and Willing

Every date night is an attempt to step back from our responsibilities and simply reconnect with each other.

So, it goes without saying that we have to be completely present and willing.

Each date night is all about intention.

So, it’s essential for every romantic date night not to become a chore that we must get out of the way.

It’s something that should excite us, not burden us.

Friday is the worst day for both of us since it's the end of the work week.

Knowing this, we must be mindful of the energy we bring on our date night.

Gabes knows Anna needs time to shift from work to date night mode.

So, Gabes reminds Anna to rest and do nothing between the time she finishes work and date night.

Anna appreciates how Gabes understands her needs.

Both of us make efforts to make the most of each date night.

It’s vital to infuse our date nights with genuine connection.

This might be the only few hours we’ll have for ourselves and each other every two weeks without worrying about our jobs and son.

It’s the moment for us to let go and enjoy each other’s company.

We plan to be open with each other during our date nights, talk, and laugh.

We want to make each other feel truly seen, heard, and understood.

We want to be as engaged with each other as possible.

This will help deepen our connection, so there’s more clarity and less confusion as we go along our marital journey.

Embracing Fun Date Ideas in the Name of Spontaneity

We've become so structured these past few years that somewhere along the way, spontaneity was lost.

Since our families live close by, we can easily find someone to look after Jere. We need to leverage that more this year because being present in our son’s formative years is crucial, as is being present in each other's lives as husband and wife.

We can have a date night on a random day, not just on Fridays.

We can surprise each other with a home date night on a Tuesday. We can play board games on a Thursday.

We can attend trivia night out of the blue. We can go out and play mini golf or enjoy a karaoke night.

The essence of date night is quality time and having fun together.

Now and then, we can throw caution to the wind and be spontaneous to keep the romance alive.

The element of surprise can turn any ordinary day into an unforgettable adventure.

The key is to connect and be intentional about the connection, so it doesn't matter what we do or when we do it.

The Bottomline

We refuse to have a dead marriage.

And regular date nights can help us avoid having a stale marriage.

Each date night may seem insignificant, but they matter in the grand scheme when you put them all together.

So far, we've managed to stick to our date night schedules and we're really having so much fun!

Hopefully, you found these tips helpful to have fun date night ideas with your partner!

If you're already having a romantic night regularly with your partner, please share exciting or unique date night ideas in the comment section below.

We'd love to hear your best date ideas!

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