How About A Creative Date This Month?

I don’t know about you, but when I read some of the marriage or family books in bookstores today, I tend to feel overwhelmed with all I need to do to improve. Some of it looks like just too much work. Working on friendship and fun in your relationship can be done with just a bit of intentional focus, and the good news is that everyone can do it. Who doesn’t want more fun and friendship in your life? It is a known fact that most conflict is rooted in unmet needs and these are needs that often do go unmet in marriage.

Creative Dates

If you don’t date much with your spouse, this is the week to plan a creative date. You don’t necessarily need a lot of money, just the energy to plan something fun and enjoyable. I love to go to dinner and movie with Cathy but it isn’t something out of the ordinary. Too many couples get in a poor habit of only doing the dinner and movie date. Skipping rocks at the Lake, feeding the ducks, flying a kite and having a picnic, now that’s a more creative date! In reality it doesn’t take much longer to prepare that date rather than dinner and movie. It will speak volumes to your spouse. Just in case you need help, I will start you off with a list from my personal collection. Sometimes people will tell us that we are so creative with our dates. Actually we started with a list just like this one below and went right down the list and checked off the date as we experienced it.

• Take a hike.
• Hit golf balls or play miniature golf.
• Build a snowman or a sand castle.
• Learn to play backgammon.
• Take a photography class together or a dance class.
• Go bowling (only if it is a novelty).
• Visit a zoo.
• Visit a museum.
• Attend a concert (preferably outdoors with the right kind of weather).
• Put a jigsaw puzzle together.
• Go out for dessert first, and then have dinner.
• Take an exercise class together.
• Surprise your spouse with an overnight. Make all the arrangements for the babysitting, reservations, and whatever else is needed, and then tell your spouse.
• Have an overnight campout in your back yard.
• Go on a date in the morning. It’s okay – be late for work just this one day!

Okay, I think you get the idea.