It’s true, I am a hopeless romantic at heart, so bear that in mind with what I am about to suggest.  If you are a parent that wishes to treat your partner this Valentine’s Day, ditch the roses, chocolates and bubbly.  There I said it.   I am not going to bang on about commercialism and the true meaning of Valentine’s Day, more about giving your partner the most valuable and treasured gift of all……SLEEP!  If you ask most parents what they are lacking most of and would kill for, their biggest fantasy,  many would answer that they just want more sleep.

What could be more romantic than your partner running you a bath, with dim lights and NO children in there with you while you luxuriate in your soapy solitary tub?  Then to get straight into your PJs, the stripy comfortable ones, yes the ones two sizes too big. Not the lacy skimpy ones that hide in the back of your knickers draw that no longer see the light of day (and are now a bit tight in areas that are not comfortable).  That you crawl into bed, into crisp, clean sheets (no baby vom or vegemite crusts) scroll through your socials uninterrupted for a few minutes before lights out, and eyes closed.  Thats it.  Bliss, pure bliss.    No need to dress up and go out for an expensive dinner that you are not interested in eating, that a few pieces of avo on toast would have done the trick.   By the time you have found a babysitter and paid them, tried to squeeze into your favourite, sexiest dress only to settle on jeans and a shirt for comfort and ease.  You convince yourself that no one will really see that last little posit of milk down your back, if you leave your hair out it will cover it, but no it’s going to be a messy bun as you don’t have time to dress AND wash your hair in the same evening.  That you finally make it the restaurant and you get more and more grumpy as you realise how tired you are after all the effort it took to get out of the house, of the sleep that you are missing by staying up late watching all the loved up young passion around you.  Then you get even more mad at yourself for not appreciating that your partner has gone to all this effort for you to both have a lovely night together, that you really couldn’t afford but you only live once right,  and that you should be very grateful and  enjoying it all.   BUT you still wish you were home in bed getting a much needed early night.   As you both head home, there is an air of expectation that sleep will not quite be the first thing that happens when you finally hit your bed, only to be just getting intimate and the familiar wail of your wakeful baby screeches through the baby monitor right next to your right ear, that kills any passion that was finally starting to flow.  Aaagghhh.

 

So listen up caring partners.  Flowers are still going to get you in the good books, but consider adding in a voucher for an early and uninterrupted night of sleep.  Even just a few hours of peace between feeds if your baby needs you.  A good night of rest will surely come back to you in buckets.  That the favour of a good night’s sleep may be returned to you and once you are both rested and thankful to each other, watch out, the romance is likely to flow thick and fast as what else will you do with those early nights with rested bodies and minds….get my drift??   Before you know it you have saved yourself a fortune and romance is back on the regular agenda again.

(Photo credit – Bedtonic)

If despite your best efforts to help relax your partner, it is your baby keeping you awake and exhausted, then you may wish to consider enlisting help to improve your baby’s sleep, so you can all sleep!   It doesn’t matter where you are, help is at hand.  At Caroline’s Angels Baby Sleep Specialists, we can offer in home assistance if you are in Perth or Melbourne metro areas, as well as comprehensive phone and email support anywhere in the world that you need help.    Getting that much needed rest can be much easier than you think.

Happy Valentines Day x

www.carolinesangels.com.au