Being a mom is the best job in the world, right? Absolutely. But all jobs provide employees with vacation time. Moms, whether they work inside or outside the home, need to take some time for themselves to avoid the burnout that can occur with even the greatest jobs.

In an attempt to combat zombie mom syndrome, every week I will feature one way that moms (or dads) can take a break from the kids—a simple suggestion that might help make life more bearable. In this week's Great Escape, I’ll let you in on my secret date strategy. 

Going on a date with my husband is something I love to do, but squeezing in a date between all of our other plans and social engagements is sometimes impossible. 

We have discovered that one way to take a break and spend some quality time together is “date morning”. That’s right, not date night, but date morning. 

When we were younger, my husband and I would fight the crowds on Friday or Saturday night and shell out $10 per person for a movie. We would end up crammed into seats like sardines, fighting perfect strangers for an armrest and sticking to spilled soda as we left the theater. 

But now that we’re older and wiser, we have discovered the secret to a great movie-watching experience—weekend mornings! Did you know that many of our local movie theaters, including Regal Cinemas at Potomac Yard, have movies that start between 10 a.m. and noon on the weekends? 

Here’s the best part: These movies are usually almost completely empty, and the theater is clean since it’s the first show of the day. As a bonus, the price is almost half of a regular-priced movie ticket.

Once every month or so, my husband and I will get a babysitter on a Saturday morning, go out for breakfast and then hit Potomac Yard for a movie. 

True, it’s not quite the same as dinner and a movie, but it still gives us quality time together and we get to relax and enjoy the movie instead of dealing with loud teenagers and people climbing over us to get to the bathroom. We leave feeling relaxed and stress-free, having made the most of our time out of the house.

So instead of squeezing some quality time between obligations, try to spread things out a little and head to the movies in the morning. Maybe I’ll see you there.

For those who want to catch up on Oscar-nominated films, AMC Hoffman Center and AMC Loews Shirlington are both having a Best Picture Showcase on Feb. 19 (Part 1) and Feb. 26 (Part 2) at 11 a.m.