10 Date Night Ideas For New Parents

Let's be honest here: when was the last time you and your partner had a date night? 

Becoming new parents too often means that we put date nights at the bottom of the to-do list, and we totally get it! Being a parent, no matter how new or seasoned you are, is a daily mixture of being the happiest and most chaotic time in your life. No judgement here.

But we think we can all agree that at some point, we have to carve out a little bit of alone time that doesn't involve baby giggles, right? Yes! (No matter how cute they are.)

Before we move along to the date night ideas for new parents list, Brian and I wanted to share a couple of tips for keeping the romance alive in honor of our 11 year anniversary. 

Tip #1: Once you become new parents and life is so busy and focused on your children, that alone time between you and your partner becomes even more important. My suggestion is to keep a jar in the kitchen and the money that you would typically use for your daily cup of Starbucks can be stored inside. Coffee can easily be made at home, but money for a babysitter isn't always available whenever you might need it most. 

Tip #2: Scrolling through my phone, I have tons and tons of pictures of our kids, but my hubs is harder to find. I made a habit of snapping a pic together at every date night, and I store them in an album on my phone. I love seeing pics of my grandparents together from decades ago, and I know someday I'll love looking back at our date nights, and how we've grown and changed as a couple. (And...on those days where he might be driving me crazy, these pics remind me of happy moments we've shared.) 

10 Date Night Ideas For New Parents

1. When you get the kids to sleep early or hire a babysitter so you can sneak in a quiet moment, try this wine and paint night at home!

2. When you get to the point where you are sick of discussing the last time the baby ate or their diaper was changed, dig deep into a much more meaningful chat on the couch with these 200 questions that spark deep conversations. 

3. This is a fun one for all the foodies who have been trapped in a cooking rut. Spice things up in the kitchen by playing Chopped in your own home!

4. Let's be real: being a new parents means that most likely all the money you used to spend on date nights is now being spent on food and diapers. So if you're looking for free date night ideas, here are 52 of them!

5. For spontaneous moments that feel like a date night (or combine a whole bunch of these together for a longer date night in!), check out these 100+ coupon ideas for couples to keep the romance alive.

6. Could your skin use a little tender love and care? Check out these ideas for a relaxing spa night at home.

7. No babysitter required for this one because the date night comes to you...in a box! Yup, no need to overthink date night, this subscription box includes 4-5 activities that relate to the theme you choose, honing in on important relationship skills like communication, trust and teamwork.

8. Try visiting your old stomping grounds! Have a bar you used to hand out at or a restaurant that's not so kid-friendly you and your partner used to frequent? Plan a trip! Check out more unique date night ideas that help you connect with your pre-parent life here.

9. If planning for a babysitter isn't an option (and in many cases it totally isn't - we get it!), that means that spending time at home for date nights becomes even more important. Since doing the same thing over and over (ahem: Netflix and chill) can get boring, here are at-home date night ideas that won't get boring.

10. Have you ever taken longer to find a movie to watch on Netflix than the time it took to actually watch that movie? These date night ideas in a jar can be made together and take the guesswork out of wondering what to do when you have a babysitter on their way to your house. 

What date night idea for new parents are you going to try first? There are enough ideas to last you an entire year of date nights and beyond. We hope that these ideas give you and your partner some inspiration and motivation to set some time aside that is just for you both, because you deserve it!