This week’s Manic Monday word is Date. Be sure to stop by It’s a Blog Eat Blog World – the Manic Monday HQ.
This got me thinking about date night with my husband. Okay, let me change that. It makes me think of a date night I wish I had with my husband. I remember (vaguely) way back when there was a time I didn’t have children. I would hear other people say something about date night with their spouse, and I didn’t quite “get it.”
Now, I get it. Since we don’t have any family that lives around us, and all of our friends are busy with their own kids, my hubby and I really don’t have anyone to watch our children. And it’s not like I’m looking to dump the kids off all the time, but let me tell you. After a long week of screaming, it would be nice to be able to go to a restaurant with my husband and have a dinner that didn’t involve taking Eli to the potty 5 times before appetizers came, or crawling under the table after a giggling 2-year-old, trying to coax her into taking a bite of grilled cheese.
I kept track of how many date nights Eric and I had in 2007. Those date nights occurred when Eric’s parents came to visit, and they watched the children while we went out. Do you know how many times that happened? Four.
Dude! I need a babysitter. I need a date more than four times a year. The problem is that I NEVER leave my children because I don’t trust anyone to watch them. I have friends who tell me the joys of their 13- and 14-year-old babysitters. The thought of a 13-year-old watching my children makes me shiver in fear.
I mean, Georgia screams for an hour when I leave her at the gym to go work out. I know this because last time I left her, she was screaming when I dropped her off and when I picked her up. When I asked the woman if she did that the entire time, the woman paused and then said, “Well . . . it’s good for her to be away from you.” Uh-huh. I can’t imagine a teenager dealing with that and not wanting to toss my daughter out a window.
So, what should I do? I wouldn’t mind sitting in a restaurant with my husband, and ordering a drink and having a nice quiet dinner conversation about something non-child-related.
I guess I can fantasize.
This got me thinking about date night with my husband. Okay, let me change that. It makes me think of a date night I wish I had with my husband. I remember (vaguely) way back when there was a time I didn’t have children. I would hear other people say something about date night with their spouse, and I didn’t quite “get it.”
Now, I get it. Since we don’t have any family that lives around us, and all of our friends are busy with their own kids, my hubby and I really don’t have anyone to watch our children. And it’s not like I’m looking to dump the kids off all the time, but let me tell you. After a long week of screaming, it would be nice to be able to go to a restaurant with my husband and have a dinner that didn’t involve taking Eli to the potty 5 times before appetizers came, or crawling under the table after a giggling 2-year-old, trying to coax her into taking a bite of grilled cheese.
I kept track of how many date nights Eric and I had in 2007. Those date nights occurred when Eric’s parents came to visit, and they watched the children while we went out. Do you know how many times that happened? Four.
Dude! I need a babysitter. I need a date more than four times a year. The problem is that I NEVER leave my children because I don’t trust anyone to watch them. I have friends who tell me the joys of their 13- and 14-year-old babysitters. The thought of a 13-year-old watching my children makes me shiver in fear.
I mean, Georgia screams for an hour when I leave her at the gym to go work out. I know this because last time I left her, she was screaming when I dropped her off and when I picked her up. When I asked the woman if she did that the entire time, the woman paused and then said, “Well . . . it’s good for her to be away from you.” Uh-huh. I can’t imagine a teenager dealing with that and not wanting to toss my daughter out a window.
So, what should I do? I wouldn’t mind sitting in a restaurant with my husband, and ordering a drink and having a nice quiet dinner conversation about something non-child-related.
I guess I can fantasize.
12 comments:
Um, have you thought about dosing the kids liberally with Motrin or Tylenol right before the sitter comes over? Maybe with a chaser of tequila?
Ian
Oh my goodness...I am SOOOOOOO lucky that I have great in-laws who are willing to watch mine for me any time. They are only 15 minutes away.
Tisha @ CrAzY Working Mom
Considering I almost killed one of the kids I used to baby sit for (no, the parents never found out) I am NOT the right one to ask for advice on this matter....
:)
ps: it was an accident, I swear!
(the kid was unscathed, but was thisclose to a really serious injury or death... um, this is NOT what you wanted to hear, was it????)
Considering that my husband thinks going fishing is a great date, I'll be available to watch your kids, LOL!
Happy MM! :D
You will be surprised at how fast they grow up. So, try to find time with hubby when you can. I do understand about babysitters though. I never trusted them either. Have a great MM. :)
I was one of those precocious teenagers who could deal with younger children (well there was the one time I had to establish authority by diving in to the family pool fully clothed to pull a disobedient one out. lol), but I don't thing today's youth is prepared for that sort of event.
You might check with another mother and see if you can't "sub" each other. Maybe if the children get used to a play date, the separation would go more smoothly and you would have someone you trusted.
yOU HAVE TO HAVE A BREAK! yOUR KIDS EVENTUALLY WILL REALIZE YOU DO COME BACK! TRY GOING OUT JUST FOR 1/2 HOUR OR SO.
13 is a little young. However, a 16 or 17 year old to come over and play during the day. Then on date night you put them to bed hang out until they are past the come down a thousand time point then venture to a movie or just coffee after they are asleep a few times. The sitter being there while they are awake will give Georgia a chance to get to know them. So maybe soon you can leave earlier.
Just thinking out loud. I have older children and still have a hard time finding date night. Not that my kids would care. They love sitters. Our problem is Just wheres the time go........
Date nights are very few and far between. We have my parents who are fantastic, but we don't want to rely on them too much because they are so busy themselves, and they looked after my son fulltime when I went back to work. Don't want to wear them out. We just found an "outside" babysitter this year, finally feeling confident enough that the kids were old enough to handle it (youngest just turned 3). Our sitter is a young woman in her 20s, so it gives us even more piece of mind
To be honest, we do enjoy taking the kids out with us, as they're quite well-behaved, and if we're in a booth, the little one sometimes even passes out! But date night alone is very important, and we're trying to do that more often.
Good luck ; you'll find it gets easier as the kids get older. And from what I've seen the kids really like a younger sitter.
I can empathize. I can count the number of date nights hubby and I had in 2007: ONE. And my kids are older!
The only thing about date night...you'll just talk about the kids.
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