Date Night When you are a Parent

Okay...I'm sorry if I'm beating a dead horse here... I know that I talk about dating after having kids ALL THE TIME... But I just cannot wrap my head around it. Date nights will always be an enigma to me since becoming a parent.

First of all, finding the time to actually go on a date night with my husband is a freaking joke. Between work, house chores, family functions, kid stuff, and all the other craziness of life... It is damn near impossible... Not to mention the fact that I am exhausted 24/7... #MomLife.

Second of all, arranging childcare is often a struggle... I have to admit that my husband and I are INCREDIBLY lucky because my Mom lives with us. She generally doesn't mind watching Olivia for us, but sometimes I feel a little guilty. I already spend 40 plus hours a week away from my kid while I'm at work, let me just go find someone to unload my kid on so I can go out on a date...Total Mom guilt dilemma... It can be really tough, but sometimes I have to remind myself that getting a date night every now and then will ultimately make me a better Mama...A happy and relaxed Brittney makes a happy and relaxed Mama...

Third of all, once we actually get a date night on the calendar, it's a freaking shit show trying to decide what we are even going to do! What do we do with an entire night to ourselves? Dinner? A movie? Bowling? Solving world hunger? The indecisiveness and anxiety over not wasting a date night on a dud of a date is intense! Making the best of a rare night out is serious business... We generally wait until the very last minute, then panic and pick something... That's a good strategy right?

And lastly, WHY DOES OUR DATE NIGHT ALWAYS END UP BEING ABOUT OUR CHILD?!?!?!?! Seriously. What. The. Hell. No matter what we do it always comes down to our kiddo... We end up talking about her all night, or doing something for her, or buying something for her. It just happens. Our lives mindlessly revolve around our kiddo. I guess that's what happens when you love someone more than anything in the world, huh?

This past weekend, my husband and I went out on a date. I honestly don't remember the last time we went out just the two of us...It's probably been at least a few months... We went and got dinner and drinks. We promised we would not talk about Olivia for the night. And what did we do? We talked about Olivia for a majority of the night, then after dinner proceeded to go to Target and buy Olivia new clothes and toys.

What?!?!?

It absolutely blows my freaking mind that these things happen... My child is so spoiled, and it is disgusting. We just can't help ourselves... It is pathetic our lack of self control...

I know that we can't be the only parents that do this... Please tell me I'm not alone!