Ready for date night? Hire a babysitter on retainer

Heather Gibbs Flett and Whitney Moss over at the blog Rookie Moms always offer up the good advice to new parents. Their recent tip is a must for any mom and dad with kids who still require a watchful eye while the parents are on date night (remember those?).

Heather and Whitney suggest that parents find a solid babysitter and schedule a regular date-night on retainer. You can pay the babysitter a (reasonable) flat monthly rate that covers a certain number of guaranteed hours.

It may seem excessive at first, they point out, but spending quality time away with your spouse is well worth it, right?

Date night doesn't have to be an expensive night on the town -- you can go out for two hours to hit a bookstore and have coffee. Or a glass of wine at that local bistro. Dessert at that new French restaurant. Get my drift? Just get out of the house together. Regularly.

And I'll add another two cents. If you can, find a babysitter that's early on in high school. She'll stick with you through her school years and hopefully, when she's home for college breaks. We found our regular babysitter through our son's preschool (she was a former student and was entering high school). She worked as a "mother's helper," watching our sons when I was home so I could just catch up on housework. Now she's old enough to watch them on her own and our kids simply adore her.