Inexpensive Family Date Nights

With the majority of households these days having two wage earners children are getting less and less of their parents time and attention.  Forget quality time – they are getting leftover time!  Now, more than ever, it is important to make time for family fun and togetherness. 

My daughter and I are practically inseparable as we have always had so many interests in common.  It is my son who gets left alone most of the time. I started instituting a family date night and it has worked wonders! 

If you have a single parent household you can include everyone in the family or rotate each child so they are all singled out for special attention.  I have a friend who used to watch my children for me when I took the other one out on a date.  Now that they are older they are fine spending time alone when I am out with the other one.

If you have a two parent household you can do what we did when we first started.  We had a weekly date night, but it could easily be done monthly as well.  Each parent took one child and had their date night with them.  The next time we switched kids (I only have two kids!) the third time we would all be together.  As the children got older we started adding in a fourth night where the kids went together somewhere and the parents went alone.  That way we worked in a little time for US too!

When people decide they want to try and work in the time to make a family date night happen they are often set back by the perceived cost of the date night.  Spending time together does not have to cost an arm and a leg.  In fact, if you split up into two “teams” you can make it a game to see who can have the most fun while still spending the least amount of money.

Here is an idea of how a low cost date night with my son usually went:

1. We got a few rolls of nickles ($2 each) and went to the nickle arcade.
2. We would use a B1G1 free meal coupons to eat dinner.
3. We would walk around the mall and “buy” things for each other. We would pick up an item and say “I would buy this for you!” and then give it to the other person who would oooh and aaaah – say thanks – and then put it back!
4. Finally we would see a movie at the dollar theater and sneak in our own snacks – but we would buy a drink there!  If you are totally against sneaking in snacks – I understand!  Just go to the movie directly after dinner and you won’t need snacks!  We have done that too!

The whole evening usually cost about $20 and we got lots of mileage out of it!

Now that my daughter is spending more and more time with her friends and her boyfriend I am thinking of planning a special night at home with my son while she is out.

Here is a list of some of the things I am planning:

1. I let him pick out a recipe in a cookbook that he wants to make (he loves to cook).
2. We eat the snack we baked while we watch a movie we rent.  He loves to snuggle in the overstuffed chair and watch movies.
3. Then we can make crafts (I have an ungodly store of supplies!) and talk for a while.

The object is not to spend a lot of money but to spend time actually getting to know the other person.  In the case of my son, he just loves to talk and share stories.  And talk.  Did I mention he loves to talk?  In the past we have even had a great time just walking four or five blocks to the store to get milk. Last time I fell on the way back and hurt my knee and he acted all concerned and wanted to carry me home (can you say hernia!?). Next time he claims we are taking “the bikes” – only I don’t have one – just he does! So he will ride and I will walk apparently!

Lately my son has become engrossed in puzzles – you know – the kind with pieces that you put together? He and his sister just finished putting a huge one together last night. We got them at the dollar store so they got over a weeks worth of entertainment for a dollar!  They have a third one that they will probably be starting soon. He just begs for me to sit and help him. I can’t stand doing that for too long so I usually help for a while and then read or work on the computer while he puts the puzzle together and we talk.  Or more accurately he talks and I listen.

My daughter just came up with a great idea the other day! We have a ton of camping gear but have not been able to get to the lake this year.  She wants to set up a camp site in our back yard. We have a huge 8 person tent (the kind with three rooms) and a stove – so much stuff! That would be fun with just one kid – or the whole family!  We plan to get out the blow up pool and splash around a bit, grill whatever I find in the chest freezer, and have a great time! 

My son like to go to the park to walk, skate, skate board, bike, and talk. He also like to see the prairie dog display (a small family of prairie dogs in a pen).

Some times it is not a matter of them joining you in a pursuit but of you just entering their world and joining them in what they were going to do – like the puzzle, riding bikes, throwing a basketball or football, or drawing pictures of dragons!

So, as you can see, there are many things you can do to spend time together without spending a bunch of money!  In the end the truth is that the time spent together is what is important, not what you do together.  The bonds of closeness will remain long after the pictures of the camping trip and the skateboarding park have long since faded.  Don’t let the fear of cost prevent you from making memories that last a lifetime with your family!  Plan a family date night today!