Date Night In Ideas for Parents | Keeping Romance Alive During the Newborn & Little Years
Created February 10, 2018; Updated January 2026
There are so many seasons of marriage, and the newborn and little kid years can easily be one of the hardest. Between the sleep deprivation and learning how to care for tiny humans, it can feel like romance quietly moves to the back burner!
Date night s may have looked a lot different before the bedtime routines, and budgets that now revolve around diapers, rather than dinners out. But during these early years of motherhood, romance doesn’t have to disappear, it might just look different for a season. One of those might be getting creative and having more time spent at home for a date night.
What Those Early Years Really Looked Like for Us, and might for you..
After I had my twins, life was CRAZY. At that time, my husband was working and going to school full-time. I worked part-time but was home the majority of the time with the kids. We were both stretched thin in different ways, and it was hard. Money was tight, sleep was minimal (and for sure not restful), and most of our energy went toward simply getting through the day.
Date nights out weren’t really an option often. Honestly, more money went to diapers than dinners, and the thought of getting dressed up, finding childcare, and staying out late just didn’t fit the season we were in.
But we still wanted to stay connected.
Redefining Date Night in the Little Years
Instead of trying to recreate what date nights used to be, we redefined what they could look like.
A few times a month — usually about once a week — we planned a date night in. Nothing fancy, nothing stressful. Just intentional time together after the twins went to sleep.
We’d stop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s and pick up some good ingredients. Sometimes we cooked together, sometimes one of us cooked while the other relaxed, but we always made a full meal and dessert. It felt special without being overwhelming.
Once the house was quiet, we’d finally sit down on the couch, snuggle up, and watch a movie or catch up on shows we had put off because we were just too tired most nights.
Those evenings weren’t extravagant, but they were grounding. They reminded us that we were still a team — not just parents passing each other in the hallway.
Making Time Together, Without Making It Complicated
One of the biggest lessons I learned during that season is that connection doesn’t require big plans.
It requires intention.
Even something as simple as:
Cooking one intentional meal together
Sitting down without phones
Sharing dessert instead of rushing to bed
Laughing over a show you both enjoy
Those moments add up.
When you’re exhausted, it’s tempting to default to zoning out separately. And sometimes that’s needed too. But choosing, even occasionally, to sit together and be present made a noticeable difference for us.
Date Night In Dinner Ideas
Looking to make a romantic dinner at home. This round-up is full of delicious dinner ideas that are perfect to make with your loved one.
The Importance of Taking Care of Yourself, Too
One thing I didn’t expect was how much I needed to feel like myself again.
Even when we stayed home, I tried to take a little extra time getting ready for date night in. Nothing dramatic — just small things that helped me feel more alive.
Sometimes that looked like:
A long shower with my favorite products
Putting on a little makeup
Swapping leggings for a nicer top or a light dress
Doing something just for me before sitting down
It wasn’t about impressing anyone. It was about reminding myself that I was still me, not just “mom.” And that effort — even at home — made a huge difference in not only how I felt, but I showed up for my husband as well.
When we take those moments to “pamper” ourselves, and again this isn’t about something fancy, just a hot shower and a favorite lotion in those early (and long) days of motherhood, can shift our mindset, to be more present with our husbands when we finally get that quiet time.
My Real-Life Mom Glow Up Routine
If you are looking for some realistic tips on how to nurture yourself a little better even when it is chaos at home, try these simple tips and mindset hacks for simple beauty at home.
Romance Can Change, and that’s okay…
There’s a lot of pressure around what romance is supposed to look like. Sometimes this even comes from ourselves, not even comparing to others. But compared to what our life was before we became parents. But romance changes in different seasons of motherhood, the most important things I have found over these past 10 years that cultivate romance are:
Choosing each other in a hard season
Making space for connection when it’s inconvenient
Finding joy in small, quiet moments
Being present (and patient), even when you’re tired
Some of our most meaningful memories weren’t made in restaurants or on planned dates. They were made on the couch, in our home, after the kids were asleep — when we finally had space to breathe and connect back.
A Gentle Encouragement for This Season of Motherhood
If you’re in the newborn or little kid years, know this: it won’t always feel like this. The exhaustion changes, the routines shift, and one day staying up a little later together won’t feel as hard.
I don’t share this because we did it perfectly — we didn’t. We had difficult moments and plenty of learning along the way. But through those challenges, we found small rhythms that helped us stay connected in a really demanding season.
My hope in sharing this is simply to offer a bit of peace and encouragement to mothers who may be feeling overwhelmed or disconnected right now, and to remind you that small, intentional moments really do matter.
You do not need perfection or a huge budget, or to even leave your home. All you need is to be intentional and present; the rest will fall into place.
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