Make a 'Date Day'

Did you know that the going rate for babysitting multiple kids in the DC area can range from $15-$20 an hour? In other words, the cost of paying the sitter can be more than the restaurant bill for an evening out. When the total price of dinner-and-a-movie reaches more than $200, it’s no surprise that many of us just decide to stay in.

But I am seeing more and more of my friends taking advantage of the “date day” concept. Picture it, you drop the kiddos off at their respective daycare or school locales and then you and your partner take a vacation day together. You are paying for the daycare/school anyway…why not give your relationship a mental health day at the same time?

It’s definitely no night out at a club, and you might not get to sleep in or be too leisurely at lunch if you have an early pickup from preschool. But deliberately devoting the time to one another during a date day can help reconnect busy Moms and Dads. Catch a matinee, try that new restaurant for lunch (daytime reservations are usually a lot easier to get at DC hotspots anyway), buy a real newspaper and linger over your coffee at the diner like you did long ago. The results of recharging your relationship can be immediate and powerful. You might even notice a new spring in your step when you head back to the daycare at the end of the day.