Parents, how often do you go out?

124

Replies

  • aandasmommy
    aandasmommy Posts: 33 Member
    I'm 28 and my hubby is 29... We have a 6yr old, 2yr old and I'm 5 months pregnant. We try and go out once every couple months alone...usually to dinner and the casino.
  • skrakalaka
    skrakalaka Posts: 338 Member
    We have a 4 year old with the closest relative being a 6 hr drive away. We get about 2 dates a year. No babysitters have worked out and they're crazy expensive. We occasionally go out for dinner an bring him with us.
  • XLMuffnTop
    XLMuffnTop Posts: 76 Member
    I am extremely lucky that my mom volunteers to keep my kids from about 7pm until around 9am every other Friday night, give or take. We are appreciative, don't take advantage and are flexible with the whole thing.

    But, my husband and I are both students and I work full time so during these free nights, it's usually grocery shopping or homework. Oooooh! exciting!
  • skrakalaka
    skrakalaka Posts: 338 Member
    After getting a comment insinuating that we go out too much I am wondering ...

    In general how often do you go out without the kids (anything recreational counts)

    Do you And youe s.o. Go together or seperate?

    How many kids and ages?

    After having opposite schedules for a year, hubs and I now go out together one night a week leaving our 2 yr old with grandma for about 3 hours. I dont feel its excessive. We dont drink a lot hit clubs etc.

    If we had a grandma close by you bet we'd go out more. Nothing wrong with that.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    sounds perfect. in fact, good for you. most parents-of-one are too busy trying to out-martyr one another about how they can't do anything anymore.

    We have 4 kids and go out together every Saturday, and occasionally another night during the week. The kids are now 15, 11, 9 and 5, so we are usually able to go without a sitter unless the oldest one has plans. We have always lived far away from family, so we have always used sitters until the eldest became old enough.

    Also I will typically go out with girlfriends salsa dancing (I'm a dance instructor married to a non-dancer) on Sunday nights. My husband is much more of a homebody, but has a monthly weeknight he gets together with his friends.

    Oh, ha ha -- we are OLD - 45 and 56.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    we never ever did when they were young, EVER., not even a babysitter....
    but now that they are 14 and 20.
    WE ARE WILD!
  • aandasmommy
    aandasmommy Posts: 33 Member
    We do go out often as a whole family with the kids :)
  • ShannaB83185
    ShannaB83185 Posts: 441 Member
    We go out together either once a week or once every other week. It really depends, sometimes it just ends up we have two weekends in a row of something like friends birthday or some other event. In that case we then don't go out for a couple weeks. We usually always go out together he sometimes goes out on Friday nights with friends or I do a girls day of shopping with a friend on the weekend. We average 2-4 times a month. We are 27 and 28 and are kids are 10 and 3.

    My MIL usually watches them and they LOVE spending the time with her. I am really close with my Grandma so I also wanted to make sure my kids have a strong relationship with theirs. I defiantley don't see anything wrong with once a week. :wink:
  • bonjour24
    bonjour24 Posts: 1,119 Member
    me and the hubs rarely go out together. we have plans to go out for my birthday next week, and that will be the first time in over 2 years we'll have been out together.

    i spent the night at a friends house before a race the next day (about 4 months ago now), so although the run was a bit of a social event, it wasn't a night out to let rip.

    before we had kids and when we had money it was different! now we have 3 kids and no money, and no family around to help out. i think if we had family around then we would go out more- even if it was just to the movies.
  • devan33
    devan33 Posts: 177 Member
    MAYBE every 4-6 months :( We really don't have family close by, my in-laws are about 45 minutes away and we ask his mom to come to our house to stay with them well in advance...his parents like to go out as much as a young couple, so they are always on the go. We have 4.. 17,13, 6 and 1....NOW...once in a while we may need to run somewhere and the teens can keep the littles..but they visit their dad on a lot of weekends and my 17 year old also works...I have never wanted them to feel like they had to care for the younger ones all the time..my mom did that with me when I was a teen with my brother and sister..And my 13 year old is in sports year round and that fills most evenings and weekends! Most of the time if we want to go somewhere..they come with us...lol
  • cupcakesnomore
    cupcakesnomore Posts: 70
    I have an 11 yo, 8 yo & 5 yo. We try to go out once a month. Lately it's been every other week. Tonight we're going out but it's to Panera and to run some errands at the mall. I hardly see my hubby Sun-Thur because of our hectic schedules, so it's nice to have a break together.
  • dodihere
    dodihere Posts: 490
    I had 2 children and my husband and I at the time they were growing up never did anything separate from the kids. He was the stepfather. I had often times wanted to spend a romantic weekend together, but it never happened. I ended up divorcing him because he was gay. So, my answer doesn't count.
  • vkc1978
    vkc1978 Posts: 63 Member
    Everyones situation is different, the people judging you for going out once a week just have a different scenario than you. The only thing that matters is, does your little one feel left out or alone or forgotten when you go out, or are they quite happy (like my little one) to ditch mom and dad and go spend the night with Grandma or her cousins?

    We have 5 between the two of us, aged 23, 21, 20 and 17, and a 5yr old princess... and we go out together about once or twice a month, but we also go out on our own for girls' night/guys' nights about once or twice a month too.
  • iamspdd
    iamspdd Posts: 134 Member
    I am a single mom of a 4 year old. I went out once. LOL No just kiddin'. I don't go out regularly. If something really cool is happening and I can't take her with me I will go out. This could be 4 times a year tops. I really don't want to spend extra money on a babysitter and my parents live an hour away. It doesn't bug me at all. Just makes going out extra special.
  • RandiLandCHANGED
    RandiLandCHANGED Posts: 630 Member
    Kids ages 8, almost 4 & 1. We have gone out together twice in the last 7 months because we moved 12 hours from family. Each of us go to the gym 2-3 times a week though. Before, we used to go out twice a week or so together.
  • trophywife24
    trophywife24 Posts: 1,472 Member
    We have a 6 year old and 2 year old.. we go out maybe once every couple of months?
  • janahcarter
    janahcarter Posts: 42 Member
    My husband and I have a 2 year old son. We go out maybe 3 to 4 times a month. Most of those times we are going out with friends and will be home really late or we just stay at our friend's house. My in-laws live right up the road (literally. Their house is so close I can see what color clothing they're wearing when they're on their front porch.) and my son stays the night with them. Do I feel guilty about it? Heck no. I stay home with my son and I know he loves getting to spend time with Papa and Nanny. If my husband and I didn't get to get out of the house without our boy every once in a while, I'm pretty sure I'd go nuts.
  • AmyMgetsfit
    AmyMgetsfit Posts: 636 Member
    My kids are all grown now. I was a stay at home mom for several years. We would go out together by ourselves once a year on our wedding anniversary. Once the kids all got in school we would go to breakfast once a week. My husband worked the swing shift while our kids were young, so we had the mornings to ourselves. I would go to lunch and shopping with my sister a few times a year. My husband would go play golf a few times a year. Neither one of us are big on going out with friends. We would rather be with each other and with our family. Now every night is date night. On winter nights we just cuddle up on the couch and watch our tv shows or a netflix movie in front of the fire.
  • JenRun1
    JenRun1 Posts: 212
    Maybe once or twice a month together. My husband goes out every Friday night with his friends. I prefer to go out alone on a Sunday for a pedicure and shopping. But I have quite a few friends that go out weekly and do exactly what you are doing and I don't see a problem with it at all. If my parents and his parents were close by, we'd probably do the same.
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
    never hahah. maybe a few times a year. kids are 7 and 10 so theres sports and homework after school, etc etc
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    When I was little, my parents went out every Saturday night. I loved having a babysitter.
  • Christizzzle
    Christizzzle Posts: 454 Member
    Go out? What's that?
  • majikmiker
    majikmiker Posts: 291 Member
    I have a poker night every Thursday I go to just for guys.

    A men's support group on Wednesdays.

    I play ball hockey with my 16 year old on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights.

    The other nights I'm usually at the gym.

    We go out for lunch together as we work close by each other. About every 2 weeks we catch a movie or go for a walk. Our kids are 16 and 14 though so it's easier for them to be off doing their own thing. :)

    We also lock the door for some "quiet time" every once in awhile. :blushing: :smooched: :smokin:
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    I go out once or twice a week. Heathen.
  • Showmm
    Showmm Posts: 406 Member
    My kids are 6 and 3 and we go out together probably once a month, but as my husband travels a lot for work and I sometimes have volunteer work to do in the evenings or a meet-up with friends, we probably use a babysitter every two to three weeks, sometimes more.

    If we had family in the same country as us, you bet we'd go out more often now.
  • avababy05
    avababy05 Posts: 930 Member
    Twice a year maybe.

    Sad,I know.
  • Factory_Reset
    Factory_Reset Posts: 1,651 Member
    My kids are 9, 7, 2, & 1. We haven't gone out alone in a year. He started a new job and is gone a lot. We also don't live too close to family and he is rarely here on the weekend when it would be easier to get rid of the kids for a night.
  • nataliefamily3
    nataliefamily3 Posts: 189 Member
    Thanks everyone for your comments! And somehow no one bashing me/ my parenting. Thanks !!

    I have to applaud those of you who never get a break! I love my son more than anything and gladly spend all my time with him but its so nice to be crystal sometimes, not just momma. When I worked days and he worked nights we were passing trains, I work 6 a to 4 p he worked 3 to 11 p. It was really rough on our relationship its so nice getting to go out weekly now he works days too!

    I was starting to feel guilty then got that comment from an aquaintance and started feeling bad. Our son begs to go to grandmas, his 4 cousins live there. So im glad no one thinks poorly!
  • algebravoodoo
    algebravoodoo Posts: 776 Member
    The youngest turns 18 tomorrow, so it has been some time since we have needed a babysitter but...

    We were rarely able to afford a babysitter AND movies/meal out/recreation so that kind of thing was maybe 3-4 times a year. We did turn must-do events like grocery shopping into a night out from the kids and either trade with friends or ask grandparents.
  • ThisGirl2013
    ThisGirl2013 Posts: 220 Member
    We go out whenever his mom takes the kids - during the winter it is once a month or so.
    During the summer she has them more often because she helps with daycare.
    I haven't been to the gym lately - but when I go, I take the kids because my oldest can do the gym thing with me and the youngest actually likes the child care there. After, we hit the pool together.
    I don't go out a lot without him and he doesn't do much out without me but when he does, it is usually just to the store or to have a couple drinks with my brother..

Categories