Do: Set a time limit to talk about the kids
We discuss the toddler’s fever and what to do about preschool. Or the teenagers when they’re navigating a fickle friend group. Or the adult kids when they’re making the same crazy financial decisions we once made.
If we’re not careful, our outings become a tsunami of kid-centered conversation.
Sometimes, of course, we need and want to talk about the kids! But if you’ve noticed that conversation about the kids tends to swallow up your entire evening, here’s a really practical way to make sure it doesn’t.
Set a timer.
Put a limit on how long you talk about your kids, so you can turn your attention to each other, too. When the timer goes off, find non-kid-related things to talk about. What ended up happening with that conflict at work last week? I’d love your advice about a volunteer opportunity. Did your mom get back to you about coming with us on vacation? And by the way … where do we even want to go on vacation?
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