Include The Kids!

Getting out for a special occasion, like Valentine's Day or an anniversary can be difficult. It's hard to find the money sometimes to pay for a babysitter and a dinner out. Been there done that!! Don't despair, you can still have a romantic evening. Just solicit the help of your kids and get them involved.

Gather everyone together and tell them that it is a special night and you want to do something special for mom/dad and you need their help. Have everyone help to clean house, prepare dinner and set the table super nice. Make sure to have a job for everyone. Even the littlest of helpers can fold napkins or get silverware out of the drawer.

I did this one year for our anniversary because we couldn't afford to go out, and surprisingly it turned out amazing. The kids really got into it. It made them feel important that they got to share in our special evening. Jessica even got all her craft supplies out to make a beautiful center piece. (Too bad I didn't blog back then and see the importance of taking pictures of everything.)

We all sat down to a lovely dinner together and the kids got to share in the love that Aaron and I were celebrating. We then put the kids to bed so we could have some alone time. Even as young as the kids were at the time they sensed that it was a special night for us and didn't bother us once. I think that was a fist (and last for a LONG time) for Jessica!

Give it a try. I think it is really important for kids to be involved and be able to see how much their parents love each other and go out of their way to do things for each other.

(picture taken by Pixomar)