Having an only child is an amazing thing. It lets you put your entire focus on that one child so you can be sure they are receiving all the love and attention they need. Having two kids, however, is so much more amazing. Where you once had only one baby to love, you now have two to love, cherish and of course, snuggle. It also gives your babies someone to rely on, play with and build a great relationship with if they are close in age.
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Most people have their babies close in age. I didn’t. Mine are nine years apart and while there are benefits to having your kids years apart, it can also create more issues than it normally would. Because my older daughter had been an only child for nine years when my younger one was born, I knew that she might feel quite the range of emotions. They were all normal emotions, of course, but still could create a problem nonetheless; jealousy, fears of not being loved anymore, and not feeling special anymore just to name a few.
Related: Mother-Daughter Date Ideas
When I realized that she may be feeling these things, I knew I had to go out of my way to make her feel just as special as she always had. I did a few different things to help her feel this way, but one of the most important was our mother-daughter dates. They gave her the mommy time she needed and helped her to feel secure in the fact that she was loved and always will be.
Mother-daughter dates are essential for bonding.
Finding mother-daughter date ideas may seem difficult, but it becomes clear that it is not when you really start to think about it. Unless you have a bad relationship, your daughter already wants to spend time with you. It is simply a matter of finding what you’re going to do on your mother-daughter date! If you are in the same situation as me, you will want to take extra care that your mother-daughter day makes her feel extra special by being totally focused on her.
Have a Spa Day
Do you know a girl or woman who doesn’t enjoy a good day at the spa? I don’t and your daughter is likely no different. For a great mother-daughter date, schedule a spa day for the two of you. When you make the appointment, be sure to let the spa know that she is the focus, not you. Yes, you are going to enjoy the time too but try to keep in mind that you’re there to make her feel special.
If going to an actual spa is too expensive, consider having a spa night at home with just the two of you. Make sure you have a couple of facial masks, manicure items, and even beauty items like a bath oil for the two of you. She will still enjoy the experience just as much.
Eat at Her Favorite Restaurant. Takeout is Good, Too!
Most kids love to go out to eat so it makes a perfect mother-daughter date! Ask her what her favorite restaurant is then surprise her! If you want to make it really special, pick her up early from school to go to lunch. One day of a few missed classes isn’t likely to harm her grades. If that isn’t something you want to do, you can still make it special by getting both of you dressed up super fancy for your meal. Most girls love to get fancy and she will love the extra time spent getting ready with you!
Visit Her Favorite Amusement Park Together
Do you live near an amusement park or other attraction your daughter loves? If so, plan a Mother-daughter visit just for the two of you! Be sure to have enough money stashed back for your day to buy her favorite treat and a souvenir. She will have a blast at her favorite place with you and the souvenir will give her something to always remember the day by.
Give Her a “Yes” Day
Finally, a great way to make your daughter feel special is to give her a “yes” day. Ever since watching the movie, she’s wanted to have one. If you don’t know what it is I’ll tell you. On this day, she tells you what you’re going to do and you have to say “yes”. This gives her the chance to plan her time together instead of the other way around. It can be helpful to set some ground rules before you start, but try not to set too many. The point is to allow her to have the freedom to plan her day and too many rules can keep her from doing that. For rules, you’ll want simply to keep her safe and not to let her do anything too crazy. It can be helpful to have a few dollars put back just in case what she wants to do has a cost.
When planning your mother-daughter dates or looking for mother-daughter date ideas, try not to overthink them. As long as your daughter gets to spend time alone with you and she is the focus of the activity, chances are it will be a hit. It was for my daughter.
