When you have little kids, "quiet time to talk to your spouse" seems as quaint and fantastical as "Sunday breakfast in bed." Sara and her husband found the best time to talk is during bath time:
On days when my husband and I have no time, we plan out what needs to be done in the bathroom while our daughter takes her bath. She's happily occupied (and I imagine multiple kids at the same time would be as well), one of us has to be in there with her anyway, and we're free from distractions.
Generally, one of us mans the bath and dictates and the other one takes notes or makes lists. (It actually works well in less stressful times for working through technical problems or planning work.)
Related: Spouse hack: Work off the same to-do list
More: Marriage and relationship hacks
What a great way to make plans, while the youngster bathes/plays/splashes… Sometimes I’ll shave as my daughter parties in the tub…
Busy parents need to be creative in how to balance child rearing with busy lives!
That’s a great idea – even if you’re planning alone or in your head.
I often use the “play” part of bathtime to clean the bathroom. I can get most everything cleaned, except the bathtub of course, while the kids are happily occupied as well as confined to the tub, so they don’t grab the cleaner bottles or otherwise interfere.
No way! That’s when I pluck my eyebrows and wipe down the vanity!
(Seriously, it is a good hack but I don’t wanna look like Sasquatch)
When my girls were younger, I used to consider bath time to be paying-the-bills time.
If I didn’t have bills to pay, I’d clean the bathroom.
And an unintended consequence is that the child learns by example that planning and being organized is a valued skill and takes family teamwork.