My husband and I are celebrating our 6th Anniversary this weekend which means we’ve been together for over 7 years. With three kids, things can become pretty routine around here. Not that it’s a bad thing, but switching things up a little to add a little spice to a relationship can go a long way. I have a really hard time leaving my children for any length of time but I know it’s important to have one on one time together. A few weeks before the birth of our third child we took our first overnight trip without the kiddos thinking it would be the last (even though it was the first!) time we’d be able to get away for a long time. I couldn’t imagine leaving my new baby and didn’t know if I’d be able to leave THREE kids with my mom or dad. I may have called home every hour or two to check on everything but it felt good to have time away and I knew that I’d made the right choice. Maintaining a strong relationship with your significant other is as important for your kids as it is for yourselves. That’s why we are doing it again- another overnight trip to celebrate our anniversary. My youngest is only 6 months old and I still breastfeed her which makes leaving even more difficult. Luckily, she takes a bottle well and has started solids so I know she isn’t going to starve! Instead of feeling anxious about this trip, I feel excited. I know I need the break so I can come back refreshed. It may be a small change but for us it’s huge.
This short trip is also a baby step towards leaving the kids in August when we attend the BlogHer conference in San Diego. I’ll be gone for 4 days on that trip and I have to admit, I’m more anxious than excited for that one. That’s a long time to leave the kiddos! I know I’ll have a great time but I’m still really apprehensive about it.
Speaking of small changes, I’d love to incorporate a more set in stone date night for us. We do occasionally get out of the house sans kids but it’s usually spur of the moment and only if we can snag one of my parents to babysit. Perhaps scheduling at least one date night per month in advance would be beneficial. That way we’d always have something to look forward to.
What little switches make a difference in your relationship? I’d love to hear new ideas! Please leave us a comment!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Cottonelle blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
Good for you guys, and good for making a better, stronder relationship. My husband and I are going on 9 years (he likes to exaggerate the numbers!) and it seems like so many of our friends are seperating, like they think the grass in greener on the other side. And its not, sorry about ranting, but really good for you guys!