Here’s some good advice for the husbands who read this blog: Plan a Couch-Date.
No, that’s not a time when you take your couch out for dinner and movie. It’s a time when you and your wife stay in and spend time together.
Ever since the kids came along, we’ve found that it’s both harder to find time and means to go out on dates and more important than ever that we get that time together.
So, Heather and I have “stay-in” dates that normally revolve around a book and a snack.
Yes, you can watch a movie or play a game together (we do those kind, too), but for us, the best couch dates are some hot chocolate, some procrastination bars* and a good book.
Our current book is Have His Carcase by Dorothy Sayers. Sayers’ books about her fictional sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey have been our best couch-date books over the last thirteen years. We’ve gone through the entire canon more than twice. Last week, when we finished Strong Poison, we were almost crying we were laughing so hard–what a hoot!–and we already knew whodunit and how!
Here are some things that make couch dates good for us (and probably will for you, too):
- Put the kids to bed. Tell them Mommy & Daddy are having a date.
- Turn off all electronic devices.
- Let the phone go to voicemail.
- Stop periodically and talk about what you are reading. Listen to each other. Laugh. Joke. Share.
- Don’t use the time to plan things or make decisions. Just enjoy each other’s company.
- Guys, lead on this. It doesn’t really take that much planning, but she’ll really enjoy that you took the initiative.
Ok, guys, it's Monday--what day this week will your couch date be?
* The Story Behind "Procrastination Bars." If you ask nicely, I’ll post the recipe for those delicacies later this week.
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