We have kids. Lots of them.

They’re great and fun and busy. We live wonderful and very full lives, but sometimes the relationship that brought us together in the first place can get lost with all of the hustle of daily lives.

Most couples at some point or another begin to feel the demand of life pull them in different directions, but it’s so important to work hard at keeping the relationship of the couple alive. This can be a challenge. I’m definitely not an expert, but our family is a blended family, where we both were previously married. We know what’s important to us in a marriage and what mistakes we made in the past that we don’t want to repeat.

Some married couples may feel like they lose the spark after some time has past. Sometimes we take each other for granted and maybe we don’t do the special things we used to do for each other because we get caught up in childcare, jobs, finances, etc. Complaining about it doesn’t help. Do something about it!

Quality time spent together with your spouse can be extremely important in maintaining that spark and bond. Some people have date nights, some take trips. Whatever you do, it seems that the quality of time spent together far outweighs the quantity. 

That’s good news! Because if you’re married with a bunch of kids and crazy schedules, time is of the essence! Make the time that you spend together, no matter how short it may be, quality time.

Here are a few ways to spend quality time with your spouse:

• Make a commitment to spend time together and make it a priority.
• Pencil it in on a calendar or share a family calendar. Cozi calendar is pretty cool and Google calendar works great too!
• Communicate. Talking things out is essential. Text isn’t the best way because it can be misinterpreted. Do it face to face.
• Travel together. Carpool together if it’s possible; any outing where you can go together, go. Even if for a few short minutes, this time is valuable.
• Workout together. Getting healthy is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and it’s even better when you do it with your partner. You can have some great conversations while exercising.

Thanks for reading! Next time, I’ll share some fun date night ideas!