If you listen closely, you can probably hear the word “yes!” as well as mini-celebrations over the next several days and weeks. Why? Parents all over the country are celebrating as it’s time for our kids to go back to school! If your family is like most, including mine, then your summer has been pretty busy.
Each year as the summer winds down, we look up and wonder where the time went. The fun of vacations, summer camps and sports makes summer seem like a blur. If you aren’t careful, the summer can end and you’ll realize you had a blast, but you didn’t get as much one-on-one time with your wife. Back-to-school time provides a great opportunity to get some of that lost “adult time” back.
Here are four creative ways to date your wife when the kids go back to school:
The coffee house date for the couple that works outside the home. When both of you work outside the home, it can be challenging because after getting the kids together for school you are both off to work. One creative way to do this is to find a coffee shop that is mid-point between your places of work and/or your kids’ school. Plan a rendezvous time and meet up for a mini-date over coffee or a bagel.
The physical date for the fitness couple. If fitness is your thing, you can plan to meet at the gym, back at home, or your favorite running/biking course. This can be after the kids get dropped off, or you can coordinate to do it on your lunch break. If your schedules don’t permit either of those, then wake up early and get a nice morning aerobic workout at home or jog around the neighborhood.
The night owl date for the couple with very little time. Maybe the first two ideas don’t work for you because of work schedules or distance between school, home and work. Over the summer, our schedule is very flexible, especially bed times. When summer ends and school starts, we get back to predictable schedules and bed times. Get your kids to bed at a certain time consistently and be intentional about using that time before you go to bed. You can talk, watch your favorite show, exercise or read a book. Whatever it is, be intentional about doing something together during this time.
The vacation day date for the couple that wants more than a couple hours. Sometimes you want more than a couple hours in the evening or a few minutes between school drop-off and check-in time at work. Another creative way to date your wife is for both of you to take a day off from work. Plan in advance some things to do and just spend the day together while your kids are at school.
Depending on where you live, you could make a short road trip, go on a shopping spree, or do whatever you wish within the six or so hours your kids are at school.
No matter what type of couple you are, dating your wife is important. Back-to-school time for your kids provides consistency in your schedules that you can use to spend quality time with your wife when you get creative.
All Pro Dad is Family First’s innovative and unique program for every father. Their aim is to interlock the hearts of the fathers with their children and, as a byproduct, the hearts of the children with their dads. At AllProDad.com, dads in any stage of fatherhood can find helpful resources to aid in their parenting. Resources include daily emails, blogs, Top 10 lists, articles, printable tools, videos and eBooks. From AllProDad.com, fathers can join the highly engaged All Pro Dad social media communities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
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Joseph Mattera 
BJ Foster 
Shelby Bowen