Readers Respond: Keeping the Kids Happy and Your Marriage Healthy

That's when one of your children wants to talk about the colors of the rainbow. The other has a full-blown meltdown after pouring his milk on the dog.

How do you balance your children and your marriage? Share Your Secrets

Candlelite and warm bath

Once in a while, after the kids are sleeping quietly in their beds, we lite candles, and take a warm bubble bath together...We chat about anything, and just enjoy each other. Talk about relaxing!

—Guest Nadia

chatting

My husband and I make it a rule to chat every night about what happened in our various work places, the children and other things and this communication skill has greatly strengthened our marriage.

—Guest Netty

Date Night, Dueling Movies & Video Games

I'm a homeschooler and my husband works at home, too, so we've had to really work at finding time alone as a couple. What's worked very well for us is a mix of things: date nights every Saturday, occasional nights where they watch a movie in one room and we watch a movie in another, and about 30 minutes a day when we let them play video games together so we can just talk. We spend plenty of time with them and have plenty of non-electronic activities going on all day, so this balance works well for us.

—Guest Elizabeth

Date Night

Having a regular date night with my hubby has been a wonderful, marriage-strengthening thing. There was a piece in the NY Times recently about how trying new things as a couple - no, not that! well, maybe that too, but they meant salsa dancing and Thai cooking lessons and other new pursuits - made life more exciting and built stronger connections in the marriage.

—parentingyoungadults

Lunch Dates

My wife and I have lunch together twice a week while the kids are in school.

—Guest Leo

Date Night In

We have a Friday date night at the house. Once the kids are in bed, we watch a movie or play a game together. No sitters required!

—Guest Stacie