The Busy Years

Discovering How to Date Again

Relationships

Couples coming out of the frantic years that come with babies and small children may find their relationship has become stale. Going out for a date night every so often might have been nice, but they never quite made it most weeks. A couple in this situation may have only a few opportunities to recharge their relationship. Learning to date again is not about sneaking around and having affairs. It is about a couple remembering what their lives were like before children, and it is an opportunity to recapture the romance they once shared.

It can be difficult to move backward in any relationship, and couples have years of experience that has often overshadowed their dating days. Living with children and each other gives them a huge feeling of familiarity, but it can also take away the memories of small surprises that enhanced their original relationship. Going out once more on a date is about fostering romance, and they might need a refresher before walking out of the house.

Leaving children of any age behind for a night out can drag at the heart of any parent, but the need to keep the romance alive is important. Putting away their phones should be the first step. They should only answer if an emergency call comes through, and they should try to avoid even that. Lining up relatives for a sitter to call could be a saving grace to protect their night out.

It may not take a couple very long to re-establish the early feelings of their relationship with each other, but they should take every possible opportunity to keep their love alive. They may not always get an entire night out, but even a quick lunch as a couple could satisfy their need for time alone on a romantic date.