Finding time to plan a nice and romantic Valentine’s Day date can be hard with kids. Especially when they are little and rely on you so much. You can get a sitter and hope your child doesn’t cry the whole time you are gone. Luckily, we have a couple of sitters to choose from and our son loves them. But what if the sitter has a hot date that night? And the backup sitter? I know my husband’s feelings about this holiday. I can’t exactly say it’s my favorite either, but I still want to do something.
For the past few years, we’ve stayed in on Valentine’s Day. Actually, we started four years ago – the year I was 35 weeks pregnant (and was just diagnosed with that crazy PUPPP rash) so going out was the last thing I wanted to do. I actually ended up preferring this (staying in, not the rash) because I don’t care to deal with the crowds, we can’t hear each other talk when we are sitting right next to each other and they usually don’t listen to me about my food allergies… on more than one occasion I’ve had to kindly remind people that cheese is a dairy product. I feel like, at least around here, the restaurants only care about making money, not giving their customers a nice, memorable (in a good way) experience.
The first year I didn’t want to be a Valentine’s Day scrooge, but I just didn’t understand why people stayed in. We had already been married for a few years and always did something. We could take those spontaneous weekend trips all the time like we used to and didn’t have to worry about packing diapers and toys. Boy, was life about to change.
A couple of years ago, my husband surprised me by getting home before I did and already started making dinner, which he never does. It was amazing! Both because it was delicious (you never know how it will turn out trying a recipe for the first time) and because I got to take a break from cooking. The only downfall with staying in is the dishes aren’t going to wash themselves.
This year we plan on staying in, not buying crazy gifts and just enjoying time as a family. I’m not even sure what we are having for dinner yet. If we decide to go out, we agreed to do it a different day that week. This way we avoid the crowds and everything else that comes along with a holiday traditionally celebrated by going out for dinner.
What can you do at home and still celebrate?
Some ideas for home:
♡ Have a picnic on your living room floor. Or if the weather allows, take it outside.
♡ Netflix and chill – find a romantic movie or start that series you both have been wanting to watch.
♡ Swap a night with a friend – you take their kids one night, and they take yours another night. When was the last time you and your husband had the house all alone, with no kids to worry about?
♡ Play sommelier – grab a few random bottles of wine and describe what they taste like. Does it taste like velvety apricots or burnt toast? Leather or duct tape? You know all those weird words they use to describe the wine – get creative and have fun!
Some kid-friendly ideas:
♡ Have them help you make dessert. Pouring ingredients into a mixing bowl is something even young toddlers can help with.
♡ Wrap your significant other’s gift with plain wrapping paper and have the littles decorate or draw on it.
♡ Watch your wedding video or go through your wedding pictures as a family.
Staying in on Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be boring! You can even get all dressed up if you’d like! When we become parents, we tend to shift all of our attention to the kids. Spending time with our other half is so important for a healthy relationship. Put everything else on hold, lock up the phones and focus on each other. And if the littles are around, embrace that time together as a family!
You can follow along with Claire and all her motherhood adventures on Instagram @fromcoffeetocarrots or on Facebook at Be Active – Live Well – Shine Bright.
