3 Kid-free date ideas for young families

We all want to date our spouse more, yet somehow we rarely get around to it. I often hear husbands say that their schedules are too busy, or finances are too tight to enjoy a night on the town with their bride. Here are three ways you can date your wife without breaking the bank.

​Kid Exchange:

No, this doesn't mean sending your kids off to another country for a few months; I researched the idea and found out that it was too expensive (that's a joke, don't unsubscribe or call CPS). The "kid-exchange" is simple. If you are a married couple with young kids, you likely have some friends that are in a similar life stage (If you don't, get more involved in a church with couples your age). Tell your friends that you'll watch their kids once a month so that they can enjoy a kid-free date night and ask if they'd be interested in returning the favor. If you plan ahead, you can schedule the whole year out with the other couple and add 12 dates nights to your calendar. 

Date Box: 

Leila and I are big fans of the company "Date Box" (www.getdatebox.com). This is a monthly service that sends a date box straight to your door and includes everything you need to enjoy a kid-free night with your spouse. We typically schedule this date in our calendar and put the kids to bed a half-hour early so we can enjoy some extra time alone. You can see a review of one of our boxes HERE. As a bonus, if you sign-up for Date Box using the code DADTIRED, you'll get 50% off your first box (we get nothing in return. It's simply our gift to you). 

Baby Sitting On Demand: 

If you live in or near a big city, there may be "on demand" baby sitting services available to you. Here in Portland, there are a few different child care centers that allow you to drop your kids off for a few hours while you go enjoy some kid-free time. These services are typically a little more expensive than your average baby sitter, but don't require the hassle of finding someone who is available or signing up for an expensive monthly child-care center. If you happen to live in the Portland area, you can check out: DropNPplay.com or wevillage.com 

What are some creative ways you've found to date your spouse? Leave your ideas in the comments below.