Great Dates -things to do & ways to fall in love, right in your own backyard!

Written By: Cara Krenn

 

Once kids enter the picture (especially multiples!) it’s harder than ever to spend time alone with your partner. Your children are your priority; however it’s wonderfully restorative to indulge in some great dates with the one you love. The following are some fun ideas to help you rekindle your romance and escape for a while.

Inexpensive Stay-at-Home Fun

Don’t want to spend much or can’t leave your home? These dates are fun, frugal, and require no babysitter – just remember to put the kids to bed first.

• At-Home Movie Night: Get ready to snuggle during a movie night, right in your own house. Pick up a flick at RedBox or via Netflix, make popcorn, grab your favorite blanket, and enjoy an evening relaxing on your couch. Bonus points for trading massages!

Raising a Manny in Charge

Written By: Frankie Howley

Becoming a teenager is hard. Middle school. The competition. The need to fit in. Add to that the responsibility of being a big brother to twin sisters and you can imagine my surprise when my eldest son, swung open his bedroom door on a Wednesday evening and said, “Mom/Dad, when I move out to go to college, I could probably get a job as a nanny, since I help with the twins.” With a smile, I told him that he wouldn’t want to be called a nanny. “That’s ok,”he said. “I could be called a Manny!” (He was referencing a quirky and lovable pre-teen boy named Manny on the popular television show, Modern Family).

It was right then that I realized that there is no shame in asking for help. For months before the twins were born, I read that new parents of multiples must learn to accept a ‘helping’ hand whenever possible. I didn’t want to believe it, but then it happened to me. The twins arrived, and my family and friends gradually returned to work and their own lives. Guilt ridden, I turned to my son, Zachary. I knew it would be tough teaching Zack, (who was an only child for nine years), how to care for his new newborn sisters so we started out small. First, he helped me prepare their bottles, and then came the change of diapers and until eventually he was helping with almost all the routine tasks.