BRING BACK DATE NIGHT

For the longest time we have heard about the importance of the Date Night. From our engagement till now, conference after conference, book after book, radio program after radio program, the date night is a necessity for a healthy marriage. And for years, Amy and I practiced the habit of the date night with great success.

We used to look forward to date night. When the kids were little, we were able to slip out once or twice a month. Dinners, movies, concerts, clothes shopping, walks, overnighters, and romantic get-a-ways; date night was something we looked forward to. But as the kids have grown older and our schedule more complex and complicated, the date night has become somewhat elusive.

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Dinners, movies, concerts, clothes shopping, walks, overnighters, and romantic get-a-ways; date night was something we looked forward to.

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The point of date night is simple, get out with your spouse, away from the kids, away from the routines, and have some fun with your mate. Date nights are the perfect opportunity to reconnect, to talk, and to fan your romantic flame.

We looked forward to our date nights. Date nights were opportunities for us to be together, to dream together, to laugh together, and to keep the spark alive.

But date nights can become a challenge. For us, we found ourselves putting our kids and work and schedules before our marriage. We lost sight of the need to work on our marriage. We forgot that we need to talk, not just about our day or the calendar, but to talk about us. We forgot that we needed to laugh, to dream, to simply be together. We needed to refocus, to reconnect, to recommit ourselves to the date night and to taking time to work on us. We need to take the time to be us. So that's what we're doing. We're bringing back date night.​

ORDER YOUR
​THANKSGIVING TEES

Read any marriage book or listen to any marriage speaker and they will tell you that you need to make date nights a part of you marriage. The question is how?

​How do we make date night part of our marriage?

1. Make the Commitment Together

We learned a long time ago that any decisions made by just one of us was a bad idea. But when we make a decision together, well, we are committed to seeing it happen. So, to make sure date nights happen, we are committing to making date nights part of our routine. Together. 

Together we are more committed to seeing that date nights happen on a more regular basis. It's yet to be seen just how often we will date, but our commitment being with one date a month. Once a month is something that is doable. And that leads us to number two.

2. Make it Doable

If we could, we would have a date night once a week. But the reality is we wouldn't be able to do that. So instead of setting a goal that we can't obtain, we're going to start with something we can do and build to bigger. Life is still busy. A weekly date night just isn't something we can do right now. But a date night a month is something we can make work.

If you and your spouse are still working through the busyness of life, don't try to commit to something that you know you can carry out. Start small and build. Make the commitment to go on one date each month. As you take control of your busyness, you can add another date night as you go.

3. Make it Fun

One of the things we loved about our early date nights was that they allowed us the time to have fun together. It's not like we had to go and do a bunch of activities, we loved being together because being together was fun.

As you think about your date nights, have fun. If dinner is fun, go to dinner. If a movie is fun, see a movie. If taking a walk through a park is fun, go for a walk. Being with your spouse is fun. So have fun. 

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The best thing about date nights is that at the
​end of the night you get to go home...together. 

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Now, let's be honest. The best thing about date nights is that at the end of the night you get to go home...together. Have your date night, have fun, and then head home together for a little more fun. 

​The point is, make date night a priority for your marriage. If you are not already scheduling date nights into your weekly or monthly schedules, try to do so. Make the commitment as a couple. Make date nights doable. And make them fun. If's it been awhile since your last date night, what's keeping you? Why not schedule a date night for this weekend. And if you are a master of the date night, find a couple to encourage Introduce them your date night routine and help them practice the habit of the date night.

If marriage is your priority, than make date night a part of your marriage.

We want to hear some of your best date night ideas! Share your favorite locations, activities, memories. Encourage other couples to make dating a regular part of their marriage. We look forward to reading your comments.

- the higham family

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