The first few weeks, months or perhaps even years of your children’s life can pass in a blur of tiredness. Then, one day, you stumble upon that magical thing you’ve heard so much about, ‘The Routine’. Your children start falling into a pattern. They go to bed at the same time every night and you’ve finally got some time to yourself. For some, this happens very quickly but for others, there is a real struggle to find a bedtime routine that suits their family. Whenever it happens, you might find it unexpectedly overwhelming. You’ve been longing for time to yourself, but now you don’t know what to do with it.
Study
Taking a course is a fantastic way to spend your time. You’ll feel like you are doing something productive and getting to use your brain, which is a great feeling after spending a day negotiating with a toddler. Online study is incredibly popular and there are lots of courses for you to choose from.
Read a Book
Reading is a brilliant way to leave your problems behind and lose yourself in a different world for a while. Reading before bed could help you to switch off and get a great night’s sleep too.
Binge on a Boxset
Subscription and streaming services such as Netflix mean that TV box sets are readily available. Have a scroll through the menus and find something new, or find an old favourite to binge on. The night will be gone before you know it.
Invite a Friend Round
Just because you can’t get out once the kids are in bed doesn’t mean you can’t have a friend round for dinner. Share a bottle of wine, order takeaway, and have a good old girly night in together.
Have a Home Date Night
Have the odd at-home date night with your partner. Staying at home doesn’t mean you can’t grab the pheromones, reconnect and really make it special. You could cook a meal together, order a takeaway, play games, or have a movie night.
Catch Up on the News
Many new parents find the world outside their home passes them by. Use some of your adult time to catch up on what’s going on with the rest of the world. You might not like some of it, but it could help you gain a fresh perspective and make you value what you’ve got after a hard day.
Take Your Mind off The News
You might find that going out is tricky what with arranging a baby sitter and prizing yourself away, especially when they are tiny, the trick is to turn ‘staying in’ into the new ‘going out’! Date nights where you cook (or he does), a movie marathon and pamper evenings are all the rage but how about a spot of Ladbrokes Bingo straight from your living room – you won’t even have to buy one of those big dabber pens (everyone always forgets to take them and ends up buying another one!) just for a bit of fun and something different. It’s good to find things you wouldn’t normally do for a treat even if it means not leaving your own front door!
The main thing to remember is don’t worry about trying to fit it all in. Take your time. You get a few hours every night to have an adult life again, so try a few things, do what you fancy, and enjoy yourself. Even if sometimes that means going to bed at 8 pm. If you need it, do it.
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