Looking after a baby often feels like an all-consuming task. Six months can go by, and you can suddenly turn around and realize that you haven’t spent any quality time with your partner.
Keeping a relationship together, though, is essential, as award-winning divorce lawyer David Pedrazas points out. When both parties continue to cherish each other, they do the best by themselves and their kids.
But how do you keep your relationship alive when you have kids to look after? Let’s take a look.
Spend Time Together Alone
All couples need to spend time together, alone, even when they have a child to raise. It doesn’t have to be every day – just once a week is sufficient. But make sure that you can have some fun with each other, even if it’s while the child is asleep in the crib.
Every week, plan something special for the time you have together. Put some effort into it and surprise your partner. Keep the passion alive.
Hire A Babysitter
Hiring a babysitter is an excellent option for busy couples who can’t find time for each other because of work and the baby. One evening a week, hire somebody else to look after your child and spend a few hours together at a restaurant or theater. Do something that grown-ups do, and make it completely separate from your kids.
Turn Your Relationship Into A Partnership
When you first get into a relationship with somebody, it’s about what you and the other person can get out of it. But when you have a child, the dynamic changes. All of a sudden, you have to work together to support the baby.
Try thinking differently about your relationship. See it as a partnership if you can. You’re both on the same team, working towards the same goals. Specialize in different activities, so one person takes care of bathing the child, while the other does the food and so on. Get into the flow of it. And try not to bargain too hard with your partner. Trust in the generosity of their spirit.
Inject The Odd Thoughtful Surprise
When you have a baby, it can feel like an endless series of chores. Yes, it’s rewarding, but there’s also a lot of work involved. And for some people, that can be a real bummer.
Moms, however, keep their relationships alive by injecting the odd thoughtful surprise here and there. There’s a lot of work, but nothing stops you from making a slap-up breakfast for your partner or taking them out for an afternoon of fun.
TV Time Can Be Helpful
Often you feel so tired after your kids go to bed that you don’t want to do anything except slob in front of the TV. It might sound boring, but this is something that both you and your partner can enjoy. Snuggling and cuddling together is a great way to keep the romance alive and the positive love hormones racing.
Talk Deeply Each Day
Life can get so busy that you forget to talk to each other about the things that really matter. You forget to ask the other person how their day went. And you neglect to listen to their problems.
Lending a sympathetic ear can make all the difference. Both moms and dads have it tough when they have a baby. And so they need to look after each other as best as they can.
Send Affectionate Text Messages
Sending silly, affectionate text messages to each other is the perfect foil for adult life’s seriousness. Most of the time, you’re worried about keeping your child safe and paying the bills. But sometimes, you need to lark about. Gentle text messages can help you remind each other that life isn’t just about hard work. It’s also about mucking around and enjoying each other’s company too.
Make Your Partner Super Important In Your Life
Moms can sometimes focus so much on the baby that they forget about their partner’s needs – and that’s when trouble can start. The other person in your relationship needs attention too.
Remember, when the kids are all grown up and move out, your partner will still be there with you. So putting in the effort now will reap rewards in the future.
Keeping the romance alive might sound like a lot of hard work, but it’s also rewarding. Plus, it helps the baby. Children want to grow up in an environment where both parents love each other. Conflict and emotional distance make families worse off.
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