I love spending time with my son alone. He daddy-obsessed, so sometimes it is hard for me to compete when he has my husband to wrestle with or to help wash the car & do yard work outside. Every once in awhile I can talk him into joining me on a quick trip to Target or a bike ride together, and it is so nice because we can really TALK.
My work schedule has been a little all over the place lately, with the Miami Heat in the finals and people using vacation time… so I felt like I needed some one on one time with my sweet boy. We didn’t have anything going on this weekend, so I told my hubby I was sneaking away on a mommy/son date.
Here are 5 tips to have a fantastic mommy/son (or daughter!) date day!
- Let your child choose the activity: It is a special day for both of you, but your child should feel like the star. Let him or her decide what you guys are going to do. If you are on a budget, tell him he has to pick something that doesn’t cost any money. (like a picnic at the park, or a trip to the library or beach) Hudson decided he wanted to go play mini golf, since he did that recently with his Grandma, Papa, & cousins and he said he had so much fun he wanted to go again so I could see how good he was at it.
- Be prepared: Once your child decides, make a plan. I was up early, so I made sure I checked out a bunch of mini golf places, so I knew exactly where we were going to go, what time they opened, and what other activities they had there. I chose a place that also had go karts and bumper boats since I knew he would LOVE that. I felt like I was way ahead of the game, since I had a coupon for free golf, but once I got there discovered it was expired. Fail. But I tried.
- Make it special: I told him about our ‘date’ during the week, so he had time to look forward to it. As soon as Hudson woke up on Saturday, I was getting him excited about our big day together. I made him a special breakfast, shaping his pancakes into a kitty. (what 5 year old can resist a kitty?) I also told him we could get ice cream after we golfed and he could pick which place we went to. (he chose Menchie’s, despite that fact that I was REALLY pushing Cold Stone Creamery)
- Put Your Phone Away: As tempting as it is to document your day and show everyone on Facebook & Instagram how much fun you are having… try to keep your phone in your purse. I took a few pictures of our time together, but only because my son is a total ham, and he asked me to. Even when he did the bumper boats by himself, I snapped a quick pic, then put my phone away… I didn’t even check my emails, or do a quick scroll through twitter. I was temped though. (I mean, how long can you watch kids on bumper boats?)
- Be flexible: Hudson was so excited about the go kart ride and bumper boats that by the time we finally got to mini golf, it started to pour. (which didn’t matter too much since Hudson was soaking wet from everyone spraying each other with water on the boat ride) I asked him if he wanted to play in the rain, wait it out, or see if I could get a rain check. He said he was cold and wet and wanted to leave. In the car, he said he still really wanted ice cream, but he wanted to go home and change first. Since my husband and Mila were just hanging out when we got there, he asked if it was okay to invite them to come with us. I said of course, and then we all went for ice cream, which was not part of the plan but it ended up being even better. He explained our day to Donnie while we all ate frozen yogurt. Be ready to go with the flow, even if things aren’t going the way you imagined it. In the end we never even got to play mini golf… but now we have a free round waiting for us and I got a few precious hours with my little man.
What are some of your favorite mommy/son or mommy/daughter date day activities?
What a great idea! I pinned this for future reference, as I'm sure I would love some 'special days' with my Little Boy!
Yes, its great to get some one on one time… I can't wait to start them with my daughter too!
My older son loves Mommy Son Play Dates 🙂 I have to start doing this with my little one as well!
Aren't they so much fun/! 🙂 thanks for stopping by!
what a fabulous idea…I love going out to eat with my son, but should do other things too. Thanks for the tips. Stopping by from SITS.
Hi Karen! Thanks for taking the time to comment! Give some other activities a try, but going out to eat sounds fantastic too! 😉
For me, it's all about ice cream! And then, when the girls get older… shopping!
I know, I am excited for Mila to get older to do girly things too! 🙂
Good tips! We need to do this more often with our kids.
Thanks Rachel! It takes a little effort, but it always ends up being a fun day! (or few hours..) Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
Awww, what a great idea! And definitely get rid of your phone for the day. I have two boys, so now I'm wondering maybe I can split up our time together to make it special.
Yes, your boys will love it! The phone is a big one… my son will call me out now if I am on it. 😉
I just came across your blog and I'm going to be a first-time mommy in October (I'm expecting a boy)! As I read your posts I can't help but smile and become overwhelmed by excitement for my little one to come! It's also inspiring to see a mom who works full time in the news industry, just a reminder that it can be done! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Congratulations! How exciting! Well thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment! You have a lot to look forward to! 🙂
Great tips–especially 4 and 5. It's hard to put the phone away, but so necessary! And, sometimes I get so hung up on planning the perfect day for our daughter (she's 4) that I forget to roll with the punches and let her dictate what should happen next–even it it wasn't part of my original plan.
Yes, 5 is still a tough one for me! I love to plan our whole day out, so when he's not excited about the same things I am.. I get bummed! But now I try to just move on and focus on him! 🙂
I'm looking forward to having special days with each of my kids where they can choose what we do, etc. What a sweet guy you have to invite daddy and baby sister for ice cream! So adorable!
Yes it is so much fun! You are going to love it! 🙂
That sounds like a fantastic day! I love the breakfast you made. That's adorable. My almost-five year old and my two year old would love it, too.
I may have a slight pancake decorating obsession. I love love making him special breakfasts!
These are great tips! I love to go roller blading at the local skate rink with my son! It's something special that he can't do with daddy!
I keep saying I need to get my old roller blades out of the attic.. I miss them!!
I LOVE doing this! My husband and I make it a point to take our 2-year old out individually at least once a week on a 'date' since we have a newborn in the house. It's enjoyable for everyone. Plus, we haven't really had any attention/jealousy issues since the newborn arrive, and I think 'dates' are a major reason why.
Yes, I felt like it was more important to take him out for alone time once we had the baby, esp since he was an only child for so many years! That is sweet that you guys take turns with your little one!