Life has felt a little extra crazy lately. Between my own school and work responsibilities, managing our household, and taking care of everything the kids have going on. Finding ways to build my relationship with my husband and my kids every day, is important to me, no matter what my schedule looks like. Lately, it seems that after the day is done and Joe and I have both finished our homework, we have little to no time to spend together, outside of our weekly date nights. I know that in order to keep our marriage relationship strong, we need to find time to connect every day, even if it’s only for a few minutes. So I created a list of things we can do to connect in the limited time that we have daily.
I know there are other couples in similar situations that leave them with only a little bit of time together each day. So I thought I’d share the list with all of you. I hope these suggestions help you find ways to connect with your spouse daily! Life is always going to be crazy in some way or another. Your marriage needs and deserves time, even when it doesn’t seem possible. Pull a few ideas from this list and plan them into your day this next week!
Going out for a drink together seems to be a popular date night activity. Enjoy your drink of choice together, whether it is alcoholic, an ice-cold soda, or something warm like tea, cider, or hot chocolate. Meet somewhere after work, go on a Saturday or send one spouse out to get drinks while the other gets the kiddos to bed. Then enjoy your drinks on the porch or somewhere cozy in your home.
It’s not quality alone time, but I promise by the end you will feel more connected as a couple. It can be easy to let my husband play with the kids while I finish my to-do list at the end of each day. But by joining my family in their playtime, I’m creating more moments for our relationships to be strengthened. The fun we have and the memories we create are an added bonus!
Related: 25 Ideas for Simple Family Fun
Every night before bed we sit down and watch an episode of our current Netflix favorite. I would like to start reading a chapter or two from one of the books that we’ve been meaning to read together a few nights a week instead. You might read a fun fiction book together, or even listen to it on audio. You could also pick up a marriage or parenting book or a non-fiction book on another topic that interests the two of you. Turn it into a mini-book club, for just the two of you, a couple of nights a week.
Related: Marriage Books Couples Should Read Together at Least Once
I’ll be honest, this is something that you’ll never see Joe and I doing together. Dishes are at the top of both of our “least favorite chore” lists. But this is something that I’ve seen my parents do. Take something that needs to be done and turn it into an opportunity to connect. One of you can wash and rinse the dishes and the other can dry and put the dishes away. It’s a task that doesn’t take a lot of thinking so you can spend the time talking and enjoying each other’s company
Everyone has to eat and in order to eat, you have to make food. Dinner time is a great time to connect, but you can start with dinner prep. If you work well together in the kitchen, divide and conquer the meal prep tasks and work together to get it on the table. You could also split up setting the table and making the food, talking while you each tackle your individual tasks. Or even have one person cooking while the other keeps that spouse company and helps keep the kids under control.
After the kids are in bed and the dishes are done, pull up your wedding song, or any love song that fits your relationship, and dance together. I always picture dimmed kitchen lights and a couple dancing around the island and the kitchen table. We also have a nice-sized open space in our front room that is perfect for dancing, both with my husband and with my kids.
Related: Date Ideas for Parents to Enjoy After the Kids are in Bed
Don’t do anything but cuddle, hold hands and talk. Don’t look at your phones, don’t watch TV, just enjoy being together. You could purchase a big fluffy blanket and dub it the “cuddle blanket”. Reserve it for those moments when you want to connect and hang out. If you have a fire to sit in front of while you cuddle, that’s even better.
Related: Why Your Spouse Needs 8 Meaningful Touches a Day
This may be similar to watching Netflix together, but it’s still fun. It can be a great way to wind down at the end of the night. And take anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes depending on the length of the video(s) you watch. We love watching music videos, or comedy sketches. You could each come to your connecting time with a few videos you’ve found throughout the week and are looking forward to sharing. Rather than sending a link to your spouse as soon as you find a video you want to share with them, save the link for the time you’ve set aside to connect.
After we got married, I printed all of our engagement, bridal, and wedding pictures and put them in an album. Our kids constantly ask to look at it and they’ll flip through every single page and look at each picture. Whether you have all of your pictures printed out or if they’re in an album on the computer, sit down together to talk about and remember the moments behind the images. I’ve also put together a book for each year of our marriage filled with pictures and stories of memories that we made. We love to look through those together every once and a while.
Whip something up for the two of you to eat. Share a milkshake, make these skillet cookies, run to the store, and grab each of your favorite candy bars. I’ve even seen desserts for two at the store both in the bakery and by the frozen foods. Set aside any distractions and enjoy the time that you have to spend with each other while you satisfy your sweet tooth. If you’re not a big fan of sugar, you could make some nachos or seven-layer dip, or grab a savory snack that you both love.
In an ideal world, we’d have plenty of uninterrupted time to spend together. Maybe one day when the kids are grown and we are retired, we will have that kind of life. But for now, we’re going to make the most of every moment that we do have to spend together. Whether it’s only ten minutes at the end of the day or an entire evening away from the kids. Take the time to connect with your spouse, you won’t regret it!