Ah Valentine’s Day, the most romantic day of the year.  Whether you’re used to dining ‘a deux’ in a lovely restaurant, receiving a beautiful bouquet of red roses or just snuggling up and spending an evening alone together, one thing’s for sure, your first Valentine’s Day with a new a baby will be different!!  So how can you make sure that your February 14th is as romantic as possible?

Whisper Sweet Nothings…

Well, maybe don’t whisper, but definitely discuss with your partner the kind of night you’d both like to have.  If you’re able to get a friend or family member to babysit, that’s great, but not if you’re both going to spend the whole night worrying about your little one and wishing you were at home!  Similarly if you’re feeling tired and run down, the thought of getting dressed up may fill you with dread!  Work out what’s going to make the evening special for you… a home cooked meal once your little one’s asleep, a takeaway or maybe even lunch out if that’s when your baby likes to snooze!

Plan ahead for Valentine’s Day

Eating at home?  Make the meal in advance, something simple and easy to get on the table when your little one has settled.  Going out?  Make sure you’ve got a sitter organised, and you’ve booked your table late enough that you won’t be rushing around before you leave.

Expectation Management

The reality is that this Valentine’s Day WILL be different.  Whilst you may be looking forward to some special ‘couple’ time, it’s important to realise that as parents you are very different people from the couple that sat gazing into each other’s eyes a year ago!  Enjoy the evening, relish what peace you get and don’t expect too much of yourself, your partner or your little one!

If all else fails…!

In an ideal world, you’d be celebrating Valentine’s Day with your baby fast asleep and with the promise of an undisturbed night of romance ahead of you, but as we all know, children love to play havoc with the best laid plans!!  A cold, a new tooth, a growth spurt or even a bad case of wind could put a halt to your night of lurrrve before it’s even begun, but who’s to say you can’t celebrate on the 15th, 16th, March or September and if all else fails, there’s always next year!