Making Plans For Valentine's With Children in Tow...

It’s Valentine’s Day soon! Are you excited?

If you’re struggling to get a babysitter, it can be a bit of a downer. After all, everyone deserves a little romantic interlude in their life, even mummies and daddies! However, if you’re unable to get childcare on the most romantic night of the year, fear not – there are lots of ways in which you can spend some time with your other half, even if it doesn’t involve going out.

Fundamentally, it is worth remembering that it doesn't HAVE to be a day of extravagant gestures, expensive lingerie, Michelin Star cuisine, and no kids in sight... No matter what social media shows you!

The parents in our online community have helped us to put some suggestions together!

We think that these ideas for parents with no childcare could guarantee you a wonderful Valentines Day – of course, it’s exciting to get dressed up to visit a fancy restaurant alone with your partner, but you could always defer these plans for a day when you could get a babysitter.

You could even include your children in your Valentine’s Day plans, as some of our parents have suggested!

Here are our favourite suggestions…

A nice meal at home with the kids - something a little more special than usual
A family meal out at a nice restaurant
Cinema or something else fun like bowling
A takeaway and streaming a film when the kids are finally asleep

A good option for a night in on Valentines Day is Tastecard!

With Tastecard, you can get discounts on takeaways if your area is covered, or 50% off meals at many restaurants if you plan to do a family meal somewhere nice, as well as discounts on fun leisure activities that you could all enjoy as a family this Valentine's Day.

You can also use your membership for discounted film streaming with Ratuken, and with a 60 day free trial membership, you can get these perks for free in time for Valentine's Day. We love our Tastecard membership and often use it for date nights on the sofa.

tastecard1

Read more about it here

We had a chat with the parents in our online parenting community...

The mummies and daddies in our private Facebook group were quick to give us an idea of how they're all spending their Valentine's Day with children in tow.

One mum told us that, because she's heavily pregnant and has a two year old who 'thinks sleep is for the weak', she'll be staying in and hoping that her partner cooks. We hope that she gets to keep her feet up and relaxes - she deserves a break. Another mummy is being treated to a glamping weekend with her partner, without the kids, and then they'll all be celebrating after with a family meal which we think sounds like a lovely compromise.

The most popular response to our 'what do you have planned' poll was... 'you guys have plans?!?!'- with over 50% voting for this option!

We think that it is safe to say that most parents who have children running around with no alternative childcare are winging it this Valentine's Day, and that is ok! There s absolutely nothing wrong with just going with the flow and taking the day as it comes. In fact, many of the parents in our group explicitly choose to NOT celebrate it, but make sure they commit 'acts of romance' throughout the year to make up for it. One mummy told us that she thinks Valentine's Day is a 'con', because it's become more about extravagant gifts than the true meaning... How many of you agree? We definitely agree that Valentine's Day should be more about emotions and cherishing our loved ones. It's all about balance, ultimately.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day - whether you have kids in tow or not. It's a day for love in all forms!

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