The Balance of a Social Life and Children

Does it feel like you spend most of your social life attending toddler birthday parties rather than attending adult soirées? Can you even remember the last time you had an event to attend to that went past the hours of 8pm? If you’re like many parents, your social life may have gone out the window once you started having kids. You may be simply too exhausted when you get home and on the weekends to even consider meeting up with friends for a late night dinner and you may not have the money to spend on a babysitter every weekend. However, there are a few things you can do to help bring back a small sliver of your social life and get out of the house sans kidlets every once and a while.

Make a Plan (and Stick to It)

Try to make a plan that you will go out one evening a month with your spouse. What you do is up to you. Perhaps you will hit up one of your old drinking holes with your buddies or perhaps you would prefer to go for a quiet dinner and movie alone. Once you are out of the house, no matter how tired you are, you will start feeling better and most likely welcome the change of pace. If you do miss catching up with friends, suggest that you all meet on your ‘out’ night one month.

Find a Reliable Babysitter

It’s hard to get out of the house during the later hours without a babysitter. In fact, it’s impossible unless you want to pack up the kids to a fancy restaurant and deal with their tantrums and tears. Look for a reliable babysitter, either a friend or family member or go through an agency. You can also find a babysitter by checking out ads online and at the local University. Once you have someone that both you and the kids like it will be a lot easier to actually go out and enjoy yourself. Don’t feel guilty about leaving them alone for one night a month you deserve it and they will probably be excited about the change as well.

Save (Up) for the Date

One of the reasons why your social life is suffering may be because you simply don’t have the cash for late night taxis, expensive cocktails and new party outfits. However, there are ways to enjoy a more affordable night out. Rather than take a taxi in and out of the city, only have one drink and drive there, or take the public transport if you dare. You don’t need a new outfit every time and you can certainly choose more budget-friendly venues. Furthermore, try to save $25 per week. Place it into a jar and at the end of the month you will have an extra $100 to spend on your big night out.

Consider Kid Friendly Dinner Parties (and Venues)

Not keen on leaving the kiddies with a sitter? Why not start a dinner party hosting system with a group of your friends? That way you can still bring the kiddies and enjoy a night out but without having to pay for a babysitter. If you don’t feel like playing host, then there are plenty of kid friendly venues where you can get a decent meal and let the kids play. Pubs, for example, offer cheap meals, cold drinks and play areas designed to lock the little ones in while you can enjoy a few moments of adult conversation.

While you may have swapped club hopping with nappy changing, this doesn’t mean you have to give up all semblance of a social life. How to you keep hold of your social life with kids?