As a parent, date night is a huge deal — even if you can reorganize your schedule and afford a babysitter, spending time away from your kids can be both fraught and freeing. And venturing out as a first-time parent can stir even more mixed feelings if you’re anxious about being away from the baby or generally disinterested in romance at the moment.

When you’re ready for a breather from the challenges of baby care, know that quality time with your partner is important for the health of your relationship. According to a study by The National Marriage Project, a research initiative located at the University of Virginia, the benefits of date night for couples are better communication without the distraction of children, novelty which renews passion, and higher expectations of commitment.

But parents aren’t always prioritizing romance. A 10-year study conducted in the U.K. found that among nearly 10,000 couples with a young child, only 11 percent enjoyed date night once a week or more, 30 percent went out once a month, and 23 percent did so less than once a month. And 36 percent “hardly ever” or “never” went on dates.

We’re the first to admit that planning a date night isn’t always possible (life is busy, we’re still in a pandemic, and childcare is hardly affordable) but dinner or drinks aren’t the only opportunities to bond with your mate. Exchanging compliments, kissing, or holding a little space for kid-free topics are low-effort ways to connect.

And Hollywood parents know the drill! The following celebrities also eased into date night with low-key dinners, a comedy club, or just hung out at home while leaving Grandma to babysit.

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend welcomed baby Esti on Jan. 13, 2023. They went on their first public date night out at the LOVED01: Skincare by John Legend launch event at Skybar on March 07, 2023 in West Hollywood, California. Only a few days later, they attended the Oscars on March 12.

Paris Hilton and husband Carter Reum welcomed their first baby, Phoenix, via surrogate in Jan. 2023. They went out on their first date night on Feb. 4 at the Clive Davis’s pre-Grammys gala at the Beverly Hilton hotel.

The reality star shared pictures from the night on Instagram, writing, “Mom and Dad’s first night out 👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏻 #Sliving ✨💖.” It was a glamorous occasion!

Shawn Johnson and Andrew East took their first date night a couple months after their daughter Drew was born on Oct. 29, 2019.

“A much needed mom and dad datenight,” the Olympic gold medalist captioned a post on Instagram, where the couple attended the Nashville Predators vs. Buffalo Sabres hockey game. “The stronger our relationship is the better parents we can be. #parents #datenight @andrewdeast.”

A few months after Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell welcomed their first daughter Grace Warrior in March 2021, they took advantage of their new babysitter, a.k.a., grandmother Terri Irwin. “We went out to dinner at this lovely restaurant, and we weren’t gone for more than an hour before we were talking about Grace and showing the waiter her photos,” Irwin told People. “You think, ‘Oh, we’re not going to be those parents,’ but you are. It’s just inevitable.”

Former couple Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik took quality time together three weeks after the arrival of their daughter Khai with a home-cooked dinner for two. “Mom & dad’s first date night,” the model wrote in her Instagram Stories in 2020, adding that their baby was being cared for by her grandmother in the other room. “But miss her [so much],” added Hadid.

Two months after their son Archie was born, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry walked the red carpet for the London premiere of The Lion King. According to People, while mingling with other celebs, Markle reportedly divulged, “It’s a date night for us” and the couple gushed over their son in conversation with Beyoncé and Jay-Z.

Markle and Prince Harry also share seven-month-old daughter Lilibet.

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott enjoyed a meal with friends at Nobu Malibu three weeks after the birth of their daughter Stormi in 2018. “Kylie was carrying a big red coat to stay warm,” a source told E! News. “They had security watching over their table so nobody could approach them or get close. Kylie seemed happy to be out and about and was really enjoying the day.”

Former Bachelor star Melissa Rycroft and her husband Tye Strickland waited five months to hit a party after welcoming their daughter Ava in 2011. “It’s weird that we’re having a date night out and we don’t have our daughter with us,” Rycroft admitted to Us Weekly at a media event for the HTC EVO 3D Android phone. “We know she’s in really good hands; it’s just weird to be here.”

The couple are also parents to sons Cayson, who was born in 2016 and Beckett, who was born in 2014.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian connected as a couple parents three weeks after the birth of daughter Olympia in 2017, but they couldn’t quite relax in her absence. “First day out. We miss her already,” the tennis star said in a Snapchat video adding, “We miss Olympia.”

In 2017, Mad Max: Fury Road star Megan Gale posted a selfie en route to dinner with fiancé Shaun Hampson two weeks after the birth of their daughter Rosie. “Missing our babies but SO important for parents to have some couple time when/if they can grab it,” she captioned her photo (the couple also share son River, who was born in 2014).

Gale added, “For sure we have to devote the majority of our time to our kids. However, IF it can be managed well, stealing an hour or two, here and there as a couple or an individual is a ‘win’ for parents,” adding, “With River I barely left the house for the first 6 weeks, out of fear, out of guilt and I lost a little part of myself and also developed what I now feel was a mild case of postnatal depression.”

The actress shared that as long as children are safe, “there is nothing wrong with some alone time.”

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling hit the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, where comedian Don Rickles was performing, four months after welcoming their first child Esmeralda Amada in 2014, reported Us Weekly.

Gosling and Mendes also share a daughter named Amada who was born in 2016.

Less than a month after welcoming twins Ella and Alexander in 2017, George and Amal Clooney went for a quiet dinner at Gatto Nero in Lake Como, Italy. “…Amal looked gorgeous and didn’t look the slightest bit tired. She kept smiling and looked so happy,” a source told People, adding, “You could tell they were happy about the date night. In the past, they always dined for hours. This time, it was obvious they didn’t want to be out too late.”

About a month after welcoming their second child Mae James Bair in March 2021, How I Met Your Father star Hilary Duff and her husband Matthew Koma dined at Japanese restaurant Matsuhisa, according to the Daily Mail. “It feels pretty weird, huh,” Duff remarked on social media. “The fact that we’re going out.”

The couple also share daughter Banks, who was born in 2018, and Duff is mom to son Luca, who was born in 2012, with her ex-husband Mike Comrie.