Dating Your Spouse with a Toddler

Have you ever found yourself in that moment when you are asking yourself how did it come to this? How have we lost our ability to have fun? What can we do to spice up our lives?

There is this sudden shift that happens once you become a parent that you might not see coming. Once you have a child you are busy falling head over heels for your little one, trying to keep up with diaper changes, feedings and laundry. Then one day you wake up and that baby is no longer a baby. You have a busy toddler and the time has flown by. The nights when you are exhausted and days that the chores seem to pile up, make you crave sleep.

It has been 17 months with our little blessing and we could not be more in love with every day. There are moments when we are exhausted, days when we are ready for bedtime from the start of the day and days we laugh until we cry. Parenthood is a delightful mix of beautiful and difficult times.

The amount of trips, dates and nights out we had before a child was countless. It has taken so much time to remember just how important dating your spouse can be to your marriage. We have lost so much of our “sparkle” as a couple when we cannot date each other. It has been multiplied with the inability to go out over the past year due to the pandemic.

The fact that we have not found a babysitter and for so much of the time we had a young baby that we did not want to leave with just anyone did not help our dating life. Here is a list of tips that I think will help any parents who have toddlers. Not every tip will fit your lifestyle, but you can find a tip or two that will work for you!

1. Remember what you loved to do before you had kids and add those things back into your life. If you loved going to a brewery and sampling a new beer or two with your significant other, then buy a couple bottles of beer you have not tried before and have your own little tasting at home! We tried this and it was so fun! We even had pretzels and a few different little snacks to make it fun!
2. Use anyone that offers to watch your little one (that you trust of course!) and take the time they offer you. Maybe your mom offers to watch your babe for an hour or two so you can shop or clean or whatever it may be. Use that time. I cannot stress how important it is to be thankful for every moment you get with your significant other once you have a baby.
3. Try new things. If you have never cooked a meal together then go for it! If you have always wanted to start running, maybe do that together!
4. Make at-home dates an occurrence that you don’t skip out on. Whether it be having a glass of wine together after the babe is in bed, or playing a board game that you both love-DO IT! Watch a show that you both love or try out a new show that you might both like!
5. Do the chores together. I am serious! Doing small things together can make your relationship more in-sync and you can find that by doing that you will be able to find the good in your days which will lead to laughter and the ability to date more and more.

What are your favorite tips that you use to date your significant other?