Planning a Romantic Getaway when You Have Kids

My wife and I have been parents for a little more than 7 years. And, the day our oldest daughter was born, our lives definitely did change.

This is especially true when it comes to romantic getaways. My wife and I used to have them on a regular basis but, since becoming parents (and especially now that we have two kids), we don't get to take them nearly as often. This, of course, is very disappointing when you consider now is the time when we need them more than ever.

For a while, my wife and I all but gave up taking romantic trips. But, after some practice, we have found we can still keep this part of our romantic life alive. We still don't get to go as often as we did before. But, with some preparation, the trips are just as fun.

First, we make sure to start planning our trips well in advance. When we were childless, we were often spontaneous when it came to our trips. That's not something we can do anymore. Instead, we decide to do something a couple months in advance and start planning from there. That way, if my parents aren't able to watch our kids, we can plan a trip that involves taking them with us (and a separate room so we can still have some alone time). I have also found planning early does cut our cost quite a bit.

Second, we have a contingency plan in place. This is one of the advantages of planning ahead of time. We live in a state (Wisconsin) that has the potential for bad weather several months out of the year. Plus, being parents, we know there is the potential for something to come up (an illness for example) with the kids. That's why, in addition to picking a weekend to go away together, we always have an alternate weekend with different plans in case things don't pan out. This is also one of the main reasons I pay close attention to cancellation policies on hotels.

The third thing we always try to do is find places close to home. As much as I would love to take a trip to Vegas, I know my wife and I would end up worrying too much about being so far away from the kids. So, instead, we look for places that are within a couple hours by car. That way, if there's an emergency that requires us to make a trip back home; we still have a chance to get back to our getaway once the emergency is resolved.

Fourth, and most important, we plan a trip that allows us to spend as much quality time together as possible. Let's just say, unless the kids are with us, our romantic trips rarely involve us leaving the hotel. Since it is some of the only alone time we will have, we always try to find places that are all-inclusive so we can just walk to the restaurant or go to a casino, etc. rather than wasting time in a car.

Romantic getaways are a must when you are a parent. If you take the time to make the necessary preparations like we do, you can still keep that romantic spark in your marriage despite having kids.