Parents, Here’s Why You Need Date Night Ideas in Quarantine

Every parent knows the feeling – time for yourself is hard to come by when you have young kids. Learning how to prioritize the time you do have becomes your greatest asset. There’s one thing the marriage experts agree. It is:

What you should be doing during that spare time? You must focus on connecting with your spouse one-on-one.

Date night ideas foster more stable marriages

According to a report from the National Marriage Project,

“Husbands and wives who engage in couple time at least once a week are approximately 3.5 times more likely to report being “very happy” in their marriages, compared to those who enjoyed less quality time with their spouse.”

Parents, in particular, could enjoy the benefits of date nights. Research has shown that having a child can put significant stress on a relationship, with one study reporting that almost one-third of partners fall into the clinical range of marital distress during the first 18 months after birth.

Date night ideas can relieve the added stress of the pandemic

The pandemic has shouldered even more to-do’s and daily responsibilities onto parents when childcare isn’t an option. According to research from the Boston Consulting Group,

“Parents now spend an additional 27 hours each week on household chores, childcare, and education—nearly the equivalent of a second job—on top of their household responsibilities before the crisis”

And any parent reading this article doesn’t need a study to tell them that it feels more like an additional 1,000 hours a week.

When time is a limited commodity and quarantine makes it impossible to “go out”, the odds may seem stacked against the couple date night. But, given the importance of date night for married couples, this may actually be just the right time to rekindle the tradition with your spouse. 

Having “couple time” apart from the day-to-day responsibilities as caregivers can foster higher-quality and more stable marriages, by increasing a sense of commitment, improving communication, and relieving day-to-day stress.

So, don’t skip date night ideas. Commit to tucking in the kids early tonight and try one of these 5 creative date night ideas with your spouse while in quarantine. 

Date night for parents:

Dine “in” with your favorite restaurant

If you are missing out on those romantic dates ideas for married couples, bring the restaurant home with one of the most romantic date night ideas. Many restaurants are offering curbside or delivery due to COVID-19. One of the reasons some couples enjoy going out to eat is because it allows for kid-free conversation.

You both can indulge in date night questions to ask spouse and understand each other better. As a result, such date ideas to rekindle marriage are a great way to bring you closer together.

With a few simple touches, you can bring the same dining experience you have out, to your home. Order your favorite meal from one of your top restaurants, put on some music, dim the lights, and even light some candles. 

Before you know it, you won’t realize your kitchen table isn’t your favorite booth at the best spot downtown.

Movie Night

One of the most interesting date night ideas for married couples is a movie night on a weekend. Streaming services make it easy to bring the theater experience home – and many new films are even being released to these services instead of the big screen. 

Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, On Demand, Disney +, and more have hundreds of movie options out at the moment. Setting the tone for this experience is easy: dim the lights, make some popcorn, silence your phones, and press play.

Bring the comedy club home

Date night at the comedy club may be out for now, but you can still stream your favorite comedian’s stand up set from home. Some comedians, unable to perform in the usual venues at the moment, have also started their own live-stream experiences. 

Do a bit of research online to pick a show, and you’re set. A few shared laughs can prove to be one of the greatest date night ideas to unwind with your spouse.

Wine and paint

Have you ever wanted to try one of those painting classes where you also get wine? You can now do it at home with one of the creative date night ideas. 

Most craft stores are offering curbside pick-up, so place an order for some paint, canvas, and brushes if you don’t have any. Once you have your supplies, YouTube has hundreds of guided how-to paint videos for you to follow. Find one you like and pour two glasses.

Read-Along

Here’s one idea for couples that doesn’t have to be a date “night” per se. This is one that you can do in quiet moments throughout the day. 

Pick a new book that you have a shared interest in, so the experience has novelty for you both. Take turns reading out loud and experience the story together as it unfolds. You could even buy the audio narration and play it while you find space during the day, say when you’re both preparing dinner. 

This will turn an everyday moment into quality time. Speaking of quality time, Dan and Jennie Lok talk about expressing your love by spending quality time. It is about giving someone your undivided attention. Take a look:

For couples with kids, date night ideas for married couples play a great role in keeping love and passion alive. In the end, it all boils down to the reason you both got married. The reason was Love. So, enjoy your exclusive time with these date ideas.