“Prioritize date night and spending quality time together.” This is one of the first things any marriage counselor will tell a couple looking to improve their relationship or even a couple that isn’t actively in therapy! Spending quality time together, away from your children if you have them, away from distractions, is one of the top things you can do to strengthen the health of your marriage. Though finding the time can be incredibly difficult with busy schedules for yourselves and your kids, scheduling this time for you and your spouse to just be the two of you, to talk about things other than the practical daily things, and to reconnect, will be an investment you won’t regret. The other obstacle that married couples wanting to get out of the house face is finding childcare. Finding babysitting can be even more difficult if you have a child with special needs or disabilities because not just anyone may be equipped to care for your child.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we here at Rockwall Counseling and Wellness want to provide you with valuable resources for childcare options in our area, so that if you and your spouse are planning a special night out, you can check “find babysitter” off your list. Many of the programs we have listed below run on a regular basis, are relatively low cost, and offer a fun option for your kiddos when you leave the house on date night! We have even researched and provided information for respite and childcare for families who have children with special needs! Check out the details of each one below!
Parents’ Night Out at Jungle Trek in Rockwall
Located off Airport Road here in Rockwall, Jungle Trek is an indoor adventure course for kids ages five and up. The course includes rock walls, a zipline, obstacle courses, a tree walk. Parents’ Night Out is held on the first and third Saturdays of each month.
Cost: $30 for first child, $25 for additional siblings when pre-registered or $35 and $30 for walk-ins
Ages: 5+
Food: Pizza will be served
Time: 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Other important details: This event may be canceled if a minimum registration is not met, so it might be a good option if you and some friends are planning a group get together for all your kids to attend!
ASI Gymnastics in Rockwall hosts regular parents’ night out and will be putting on a special Valentine’s Day Parents’ Night Out Event on Saturday, February 11th. Kids will have activities to rotate through at the gym that are all supervised by gymnasium staff. These events are held monthly and always have different, fun theme for kids to participate in!
Cost: $35 for first child and $30 for each additional sibling when pre-registered; $40 for first child and $35 for additional siblings when walk-ins
Ages: 3-13
Food: Pizza will be served and vending machines will be open. Kids are encouraged to bring their own beverage.
Time: 6:00-10:30
Other information: Because ASI has several locations throughout the metroplex, you could even find a gym close to where you and your spouse want to have your date night and register your kids for the event in that area!
J.E.R. Chilton YMCA hosts a Parents’ Night Out event once a month which is free to YMCA members. During the month of February, this event will be held on Saturday, February 18th. Activities will be planned for kids based on age!
Cost: Free to YMCA members, but must be pre-registered. Registration opens on February 5th.
Ages: 2-10
Food: Pizza will be served for kids attending.
Time: 5:30-9:00
Other information: There is limited capacity on this event, but because it is hosted monthly, you may be able to catch it another time!
The Special Friends Program is the special needs ministry at First Baptist Church of Allen. Their ministry offers a once monthly Parents’ Night Out for parents and caregivers of school age children with special needs and disabilities. This ministry is offered free-of-charge to families and provides care for siblings, as well as the disabled or special needs child. For more information on how to participate in this program, families can email the program director Lezah Maitland at lezah.maitland@fbcallen.org.
Wylie Stars is a ministry through the United Methodist Church of Wylie that offers respite for families who have adult children with special needs. This is a great resource if you or someone you know has an adult child with disabilities. They meet on the third Friday of every month, and in February, they will have a special Valentine’s Day Dance on Friday, February 17th.
Cost: Free to families after application and medical release forms are completed
Ages: 18+
Time: 6:00-9:00
Other information: Volunteers who work with Wylie Stars are background checked and trained to help those with disabilities. Families do need to apply and be accepted into the program, but do not need to be members of UMC Wylie to attend.
Special Needs Parents’ Night Out FBC Forney
First Baptist Church of Forney also offers Parents’ Night Out Events throughout the year. Their ministry also works with the Tim Tebow Foundation to host a Night to Shine event, which is a prom for students with special needs. Their website currently does not have 2023 events listed; however, you can email their director, Kacey Jackson at kjackson@fbcforney.org for more information.
Cost: Free to the public
Ages: 1-17 for children with special needs and childcare for siblings ages 1-12
Food: A meal is served for children attending
These are just a few of the places that offer Parents’ Night Out activities. Many gymnastics centers similar to ASI also offer this type of event. Elementary schools will also sometimes host Valentine’s Day events for their students as a fundraiser for the school. Whatever avenue you take, we hope that you’re able to get out of the house and out of your routine with your spouse this Valentine’s Day! Be sure to check back into the blog in a couple of weeks to learn about love languages and how to help your partner feel appreciated.
Written by Emily Taylor, Contributing Writer