With the GYRO Challenge in full swing, we had an interesting conversation with our grown kids about planning themed date nights at home. Both of our married daughters said their husbands would roll their eyes at the thought of such a date, and even our single daughter joined in the conversation. When we asked them why they felt this way they said this is the way many young people think. In fact, most of their friends would agree with them.
To say this was a surprise to us would be a gross understatement. We have enjoyed themed dates for years. We realize not all dates can be this special, but when they work, the memory made is worth the effort.
So today we’ll begin with the first “Myth of an at-home themed date night.” We hope you’ll stick with us this week and see if you have embraced these myths as truth in your own marriage.
Myth #1 – Themed at-home dates are hokey.
Granted they can be. But if you have done your job and studied your spouse well, you’ll know what theme they would flip over. For example, when Tom planned my “You’ve Got Mail” date night, I couldn’t have been more impressed. He was thoughtful, paid attention to details, and kept the theme going all night long. 🙂
First, think of something your spouse loves–a movie, musical, sporting event or something else.
Second, see if you can’t brainstorm a way to make this into a night they’ll never forget. We’ll talk more about this one tomorrow.
Third, plan the date at a time when you know your spouse won’t be distracted with other demands. This will go a long way in helping them enjoy it completely.
Have you bought into the myth that themed date nights are hokey? Have you ever been the giver or receiver of a themed date? Did it work? Why or why not?
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Taking part in the Challenge? Click on the GYRO Challenge button in the header and leave your comment under Week #1.
The Romantic Vineyard 
I can’t say they’re hokey- because I need more details!
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I love this website called The Dating Divas (http://thedatingdivas.com – I got nothing for mentioning them, I just like what they do). They are a bunch of young ladies who love to keep the dating going after marriage. There are tons of ideas for themed dates on their site. While I’m no longer married, I’m praying for the day when I am so that I can try all these fun ideas!
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I love this website called The Dating Divas (http://thedatingdivas.com – I got nothing for mentioning them, I just like what they do). They are a bunch of young ladies who love to keep the dating going after marriage. There are tons of ideas for themed dates on their site. While I’m no longer married, I’m praying for the day when I am so that I can try all these fun ideas!
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Heather,
We know the Dating Divas well, and have watched them grow their ministry over the years. We agree, they are a wealth of date night ideas for all.
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I just did our first “themed at-home date night” for Valentine’s Day. I can’t remember where I got the idea, but it was linked in a Generous Wife email. I bought the classic game Clue and came up with an outfit for each of the 6 characters, a position or accessory for each weapon, and then rooms in our home to match the rooms on the board. I didn’t tell my husband (who has never played Clue before — what??) that part until we had finished the game. He was very pleasantly surprised when I told him the other half of his Valentine’s Gift. From now on, we’ll have fun memories about the game (secret memories if others are playing with us)…and it’ll take a while to reveal all the outfits and such, so it’s a long standing gift of at-home dates. 🙂
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Dawn – great job! It’s nice to know your husband has a clue now about Clue. It may be his favorite board game. 🙂 Thanks for sharing. Could you take a minute and post this under the GYRO tab at the top of our blog? Thanks!
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He definitely enjoys the game…and the board game part, too. 😉 I DID have to inform him that we can’t do the second half of the game EVERY time we play Clue nor can we play it every night. And he said he’s not sure we can ever play with anyone else because of how I introduced it to him — though that might make it even more fun. I’ll post it!
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I love the idea of at-home themed date nights. I’ve shared a few on my blog (i.e. Star Trek, Love You to Pieces, and You’re the Love in My Sail, etc), but I’m always a bit shy about initiating them since I’m a little nervous about what my husband will think. But when I initiated some of the above date night ideas, my husband actually enjoyed them a lot. Once couples get past the initial cheesiness, themed date nights can be a lot of fun. And it’s fun to catch my husband off guard!
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