Today I’m unabashedly sharing an idea that I had nothing to do with. I had never thought about it and I can’t take any credit at all.
The credit for this idea belongs to my mom. I am convinced that she came up with the single greatest idea for a Christmas present for adult children and it was too good not to share with you.
My parents gave my husband and I the gift of dates.
One date night a month for the entire year.
Because they live 12 hours away, they can’t just come over and watch the kids any time. So, my mom put cash in envelopes that we open each month that we won’t see each other (we are able to get together several times a year and they always take one night of our time together to watch the kids and give us a date night). We can use that money to pay a sitter or pay for movie tickets or take care of dinner. It has been incredible.
It’s always a struggle for parents of young kids to carve out time for date nights out, but because we choose to live on one income, finding the money in the budget for a date night each month was also hard.
My parent’s thoughtfulness completely erased that burden.
This year, we have seen movies, eaten dinner out, played Top Golf, and we even got to go see a pre-season Cowboy’s game.
Most importantly, we have connected each month. We have spent time, just the two of us, talking about our relationship, our little family, our struggles, and our goals and dreams for the future.
In this busy society full of things to pull marriages and families apart, it’s more important than ever to stay connected and to set aside time to communicate.
I know not everyone’s situation is the same – so this might not be the best present for you, your parents, or your kids, but it has been a game changer for us. I know that every couple with young kids that we have talked to has looked at us with envy when I tell them about our Christmas present. In fact, several of them have said, “That’s amazing! I’m going to ask for that this year!”
So, if you want to bless the socks off your adult children, try giving them the gift of dates this Christmas!
