Lockdown life: it’s more important than ever not to forget about date night

We all need that little bit of time every week.

As a parent I know the value of having a little 'couple time' once a week, even if it's just a trip to the cinema or a drink in the local. Due to the current COVID-19 lock down heading out for date night is no longer possible, but now more than ever we need to remember to still have date night.   The last few weeks have been stressful in our home, as they have been in many other households across the country. Two parents working from home and two kids learning from home in one house can get a little bit cramped after a while. Most days I'm trying to work while being badgered for snacks or changing my toddler's pull up nappies every few minutes. It's hard to get a minute to myself. When the kids have gone to bed it's easy to just want to call it an early night and head to bed early every night ourselves but staying up and spending some time as a couple will really help your mental wellbeing and your relationship. While you can totally go all out and do themed date nights, you can also keep it really simple. Ordering a takeaway and sticking on your favourite movie is just as good as any trip to the cinema. In fact it's better because you won't have anyone complain about you bringing hot food into the theatre. Likewise you could cook a romantic meal and dress up as if you were going to a fancy restaurant to help break up the cabin fever. I'm thinking of doing this myself this weekend so I've an excuse to get out of my leggings. Lockdown can be difficult on our mental health but if we can add as much normality and positivity into it, it will make the whole situation a lot easier.