Re-kindle your relationship with together time this Valentine's


Health
19/07/2018
If you've fallen into the trap of tag-team parenting, it's time to wrestle free some quality time with your partner

This Valentine's Day, instead of just having one romantic dinner with your other half (though do that too!), why not resolve to spend more quality time together regularly?

When you live together and parent together, the limited time you have to talk can easily get filled up with swimming club rotas, recycling bins and whose turn it is to get an afternoon off on Saturday...

We know it's hard to find more time, so here are a few ideas for carving out some precious minutes together.

1. Make Monday night me and you' night

Pick a day of the week when you both commit to making each other priority number one. It doesn't matter what you do - just do it together. No hiding in the shed or running off to Zumba!

2. Cook together

If your kitchen is big enough, it's great to get into the habit of preparing meals together.
If your partner's ways are different to yours (carrot batons! When everyone knows discs are best...), bite your lip, it's not worth falling out over. If you want the companionship, you'll have to relinquish a little control - and not just over the carrots.

If you want to push the boat out, try our romantic dinner for two recipe idea.

3. Have a shared project

If you have young children, it's often the case that one parent gets on with important tasks while the other looks after the little ones.

Try to have at least one project on the go which you're tackling together - even if it's just decorating the spare room or building a rockery in the garden. When it's finished, you can share in the sense of achievement.

4. Co-ordinate sleepovers

If you have more than one child, try to co-ordinate sleepovers so that you get the house to yourself once in a while. Then you can finish that rockery. Or not...

5. Shop online

Do the weekly supermarket shop online then make a point of using the time you would have spent sitting in traffic and trawling the aisles to enjoy something together.

For example, put on some music and dance around with your kids. Or go into the garden and hula hoop.

Kids learn more from their parents than anyone else, so be sure to pass on that sense of fun.

Share your tips

What do you and your other half do to carve out quality one-to-one time?