Playing with kids all day is fun. As adults, however, we need time for ourselves. We need time to connect to other humans who can form complex sentences and share ideas. I like to call the hour after Benedict goes to sleep the “Golden Hour.”

Benedict is getting more mobile, which makes him dangerous. He constantly needs to be monitored as he squirms all around on the floor. That makes my job during the day much more involved as I chase him around the family room, kitchen, and dining room.

So when he finally goes to sleep around 8pm, I’ve got an hour before bed. Alison and I go to bed at 9pm because we wake up at 5am. That means she can get to the hospital on time and I can get 2 hours of work done before Benedict wakes up.

Our Golden Hour is from 8pm - 9pm. It’s a time for Alison and I to just be together.

It’s important to relax during your Golden Hour, but not to waste the time. The trick to maximizing this time is to find a meaningful way to spend time together with your spouse. Here are a few ideas:

• Play a board game
• Read together
• Work together
• Work on a craft project
• Plan your menu
• Have a Budget Committee meeting
• Watch a movie

The Golden Hour is your time to unwind before bed. No matter how you choose to spend it, make sure you’re both spending time together. You’ve had all day to be apart.

Tags: Dating