When you get out your daily planner, do you notice something missing? You have your time for work and time for your children. What else is there? How about your spouse? Do you have time scheduled for him? If not, that is the first thing that needs to change. You don’t have to hire a babysitter so you can go out and paint the town. A simple game of cards after the children have gone to bed will do just fine to keep the home fires burning and to really reconnect as a couple.
When you have set aside time to be with your spouse, do not let anything short of the house burning down to get in the way. You need to remind him, and yourself, that you were a wife before you became a WAHM. If you feel too tired at the end of the day to enjoy his company, ask if he will help you with the after dinner clean up.
But don’t forget to set chores aside for the older kids as well. Maybe you want to make every Saturday from ten to noon ‘cleaning time.’ Make sure everybody is aware of this and knows their parts. Older children can help dust and vacuum while younger ones can clean up their room and make beds. If you have toddlers, give them a pint sized boom and dust pan and let them ‘help’ sweep the kitchen. By making it so that everybody is involved, you will be able to spend time with your family wile getting the cleaning done.
Another option is to ask you spouse for help with your business. This will work especially well if you have just a few loose ends to tie before bed. They will be able to see what you do with your time and maybe understand a little more why all the laundry wasn’t done before he got home.
About the Author: