Prioritize Date “Night”

23 ways to connect with your significant other

As a woman raising a family in 2025, I know the importance of squeezing in date nights when you can. Life is busy and days are filled with the kids’ activities and needs, work requirements and the daily grind of cooking, laundry, dishes, etc. Often, there is little time to nurture the relationship with your partner.

The trick to finding couple time is to focus on quality, not quantity. Time and energy are often limited, but if you make the most of the time you do have together, it will sustain you as a couple until you can go on a more traditional date (or better yet, a weekend getaway!). Start by removing the word “night” from the equation—this will open up the possibilities for everyone. Here are 23 ideas to connect with your significant other:

1 Start the day by watching the sun rise with a steaming mug of coffee or tea.

2 Take a walk to a local destination like your favorite coffee or ice cream shop. You are checking a few boxes with this one: exercise, guilty pleasures and uninterrupted time to talk.

3 Plan a vacation. Snuggle up together with the laptop and research your next destination.

4 Play pool or ping pong together and recap your day. Amazing stories are shared while following a ball around the table.

5 Hit up garage sales or estate sales in town. Maybe you’ll be inspired to start an upcycling project together.

6 Flip to our calendar and look for free things to do in San Diego. Consider attending an art show, street fair, farmers market, cultural festival or free guided hike or nature walk.

7 Go to an open mic or trivia night at a local pub. Or stop for an appetizer while waiting to pick up the kids from practice.

8 Meet for breakfast after the kids have gone to school or in between appointments at work.

9 Drive around town and listen to a podcast together. If you can’t get away from the kids, take them for a car ride while you all learn a new language or listen to an audiobook.

10 Sit around the fire. Take some time to decompress, whether enjoying a fire inside or in an outdoor firepit. Hold hands and watch the flames dance.

11 Go to a library seminar. Local libraries offer dozens of free seminars, author talks, mindfulness activities, book clubs, writing groups and more.

12 Cook a meal together. Try a new recipe, recreate a childhood favorite or have a cook-off.

13 Get some exercise. Join a coed sports team, take an exercise class together or challenge another couple to a game of pickleball. Stop at the driving range, play a game of HORSE at the park or go for a run.

14 Expand your wine knowledge. Gather a few suggestions from friends and plan a wine tasting for two.

15 Explore your city’s history by visiting historical sites to see what local life was like 100 years ago. San Diego’s Old Town, Balboa Park and Cabrillo National Monument are good places to start.

16 Check out model homes in your area for decorating or remodeling ideas and trending home designs for future planning.

17 Make homemade chocolate fondue after the kids go to bed so you don’t have to share.

18 Play a board game together like Monopoly, Lost Cities or Sequence or try your hand at Fortnite.

19 Catch up on a Netflix series together. If the kids are busy with afterschool activities, flip open the iPad as you are making dinner to watch an episode, or wait until the kids are tucked into bed.

20 Have a carpet picnic. After the kids go to bed, lay a blanket on the floor and indulge in a charcuterie board with fruit, olives, nuts, cheeses and crackers. Don’t forget dessert!

21 Watch the weather. If you can catch one of San Diego’s rainy days, sit and watch the storm roll in. Listen to the rain under a covered porch, then get cozy by the fire to warm up.

22 Go window shopping for something you would like “one day.” Test drive a new car, check out the latest jacuzzi designs or visit with a puppy at an adoption center.

23 Listen to music together and test each other’s music knowledge. Try playing an impromptu game of “Name that Tune.”

Not only is it important to connect with your significant other for your own relationship, but it’s also important for your kids to see and know that you prioritize time with each other throughout the year.

Pam Molnar is a writer who enjoys writing about relationships. She and her husband make time to “date” every day while raising their three children.