by Jackie Bowles
Being a mother of young children, I know how hard it is to squeeze in that weekly date night. I definitely could use one every week, but the logistics of actually putting the plan into action is hard. It can be difficult to find a babysitter or figure out a cheap activity when money is tight or maybe you are just too tired. Multiple studies have demonstrated the importance of this weekly ritual as a commitment to one another.
According to the Date Night Opportunity by W. Bradford Wilcox and Jeffrey Dew, date nights strengthen your marriage in several ways. First, it improves your communication. Putting aside the things in your life, your phones, your job, the kids, gives you devoted time to find out how each other are doing. Another benefit is novelty dating; make it fun! You can do more than just dinner and movie. Be creative, try something new; as couples are engaged in fun activities they develop a stronger bond together. Adding in a regular date night can also rekindle that romantic spark again. Date nights also create a stronger commitment to one another. It helps create a feeling of “we-ness.” And finally date nights help you to de-stress. Our lives are all stressful. It is soothing to be able to put all that stress aside and be able to enjoy an evening with your spouse.
Quoting one of her patients, Winifred M. Reilly, said, “Date night is cheaper than therapy, much cheaper than divorce, and a whole lot more fun.” She confirms that date nights are essential! There are many fun ways that we can stay connected through date nights. Sometimes you might have to do dates at home after the kids are in bed, sometimes it is just a quick walk around the block, or a trip to the store together to get needed groceries. Here is a website that offers lots of fun date nights of every kind For Your Marriage. Pinterest is another great source for date night ideas or even a Google search. Personally, I have found success in having a date night jar stuffed with ideas that can be randomly pulled out each week.
If you haven’t already, make the commitment now! No matter how hard, broke, tired, bored, stressed or busy you are put your marriage first. Show your spouse how important they are. HAVE A WEEKLY DATE NIGHT!