Without the Kids: 4 date ideas for new parents

Sometimes new parents can't even imagine leaving the house without their adorable baby. Or they're just too tired and would rather hire a babysitter to watch the bambino so they can get an uninterrupted nap.

In the hustle and bustle of changing diapers, cleaning bottles and nursing gear and surviving the general exhaustion that newborns bring, relationships often fall to the bottom of the list.

Leaving the house without the kid (kids if you have multiples) becomes incredibly important for new parents because it gives the rookie mom and dad a chance to reconnect as a couple.

You don't have to go on a fancy date and leave the baby home until the wee hours of the night. (Although I do recommend doing that every once and a while––24 hours a away from your kid can seem like a week-long vacation.)

Here are five simple and budget-friendly date ideas for new parents:

• Visit a cafe and bookstore. Whether it's breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or dessert, dining at small, quaint cafe always feels romantic. (A jazz trio doesn't hurt either.) Follow your meal up with a leisurely stroll through your local bookstore. It may be the only chance you get to uninterrupted time to read a book or magazine for a long, long time.
  

• Get outdoors. New parents can get a serious case of cabin fever. Pack a simple lunch or lots of snacks and hit the great outdoors. Whether it's a stroll at the park or a hike on a local trial, you'll feel refreshed. Added bonus? You can scope out stroller-friendly spots.

• Hit the arcade. No joke. There's something really fun (and completely adolescent, of course) about going to the arcade and challenging your spouse to a serious game of air hockey. Plus, it helps relieve some of that new parents stress.

• Go on a "practical date". When you have a baby, you suddenly enter the world of "divide and conquer." Sometimes its nice to leave the kid at home while you and your spouse run a few errands together. Make sure to stop to a local eatery for treat with your sweetie.

And if you plan on making date night a regular weekend or weeknight activity, think about hiring a babysitter on retainer, especially if you have an amazing sitter. You'll want to keep him/her around for the long haul as your kid grows up.