Congratulations on starting a family! We’re sure that your little bundle of joy is making you very happy. Even so, you and your partner may have spent too much time worrying about your baby’s health and stopped spending quality time with each other, both in and out of the bedroom. It can be hard to spend time together with the baby and the rest of your family, but with a little extra work, you can find ways to do so.
How to Spend Your First Valentine’s Day as a New Parent
Every couple needs to get away from everyone else and spend time alone together to reconnect. Especially since a happy couple raises a happy child. We have Valentine’s Day ideas for parents with babies if you want to celebrate the day of love without doing something expensive or impossible because you have a baby.
- Don’t do what most people do.
We think of big plans and grand gestures when we think of Valentine’s Day. Well, that might work for some, but it’s a whole different story for married people with a young child. You don’t have to follow the rules to have a good time with your partner. Make up your own! You can do something easier but still meaningful to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your spouse after having a baby. For example, you could order in some of your partner’s favorite food so they don’t have to cook. You could also clean the room while your spouse takes care of the baby. You could also make their bed and decorate it with a cute bouquet and a card telling them how much you love and appreciate them. In the end, what matters is how you show your love.
- Make love new again.
Think about it: even love has no chance on Valentine’s Day if it’s not done “the right way.” It’s fine that rules are different for married people. Romance doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money on big gifts and telling everyone in public how much you love them. It can be as simple as writing a letter to your partner about how you fell in love with them or getting them to go for an hour-long walk with you in the evening. Don’t give in to extravagances just because they’re hard to ignore. Instead, do what’s important to you and your partner. Romance is a personal thing.
- Virtually go on a date.
We should all give thanks for what technology has done for us. If you and your partner can’t go out on Valentine’s Day or leave the baby with a responsible person for a few hours, put your energy into text messages. You can tell your partner anything you want over text. Let the romance live on in cyberspace. You can always scroll back up and relive it later.
- All depends on the gifts.
As new parents, you might have a different idea of a great gift than the mushy, in love couples out there. With the baby in the picture, try to figure out what your partner needs right now. Instead of a big teddy bear or a ring, get them a gift certificate to a spa or set up a surprise weekend get-together with their friends. When you just had a baby, the best Valentine’s Day gift you can give your partner is to watch the baby while they do something for themselves that makes them happy.
- Include the child.
If it’s Valentine’s Day, why not have your little one help you celebrate? Plan a cute day trip with your baby and your partner, like to the zoo, a small picnic in the park, or an arcade where your baby can crawl or walk in a safe area. Spend these special times with the people who show you what love means to you.
- Plan to go out and don’t say you’re sorry.
A lot of us live with our families, and we may have different ideas and beliefs, especially when it comes to love. You may want to do something special with your partner, but it may be hard to tell the older people in the house because they don’t think V-day is anything special. But hey, you’re married and you just had a baby, so you deserve some time off whether or not it’s Valentine’s Day. Tell your family that you need to go out so you can feel closer to yourself and your partner. Having a baby can sometimes make you forget that. We’re sure that your family will understand and may even offer to watch your baby while you’re out.
READ ALSO: