It’s difficult not to love your kids, but my word are they knackering. No matter how many cups of coffee you can fit into a day, the constant attention your sprogs need can drain even the best of us. They’re just so energetic, like every moment of their lives is a completely new and exhilarating experience.
But there are those special moments when you’ve got time to yourself. You’ve had them struggle through bath time, refuse to put their pyjamas on, read them a bedtime story that doesn’t hold a candle to the Game of Thrones book you’re reading, and now you can, finally, slump onto the sofa and drift into a lilting lull.
Nah, not really! As any parent knows, it’s not easy to relax around mountains of Peppa Pig DVDs, jovial toys and stains from Bob the Builder pasta.
What you need is a child-free zone in your home – somewhere that can act as a haven from the same living room where you’ve been forced to watch Shrek the Third 435 times.
With that in mind, here are a few tips on how you can kit out the last bastion of adulthood in your home.
Find fine flooring
Imagine walking into your child-free zone, only for your feet to be hit with a draught usually reserved for the Antarctic. Cold, hardwood flooring can be a cruel dame at the best of times, which is why you’d be wise to invest in some carpeting.
If your haven doubles up as your bedroom, invest in some bedroom mats to welcome you from the toes up, and make them colourful – no one outside of an Ingmar Bergman film wants to relax in a dull grey.
Stock up on interests
Sometimes it can feel like looking after your kids is taking up any other time you have for hobbies or continuing skills. While time with your little ‘uns is time well spent, it’s important to have a little bit of space to pursue your passions.
Want to take up a new language? How about playing a musical instrument? Or perhaps you just want to burn your way through a Game of Thrones box set for a few nights. No matter what your passion, make sure you’ve got the right kit to set them burning.
Make it an ensuite
The worst thing you want to do is wake the kids after you’ve just got them to sleep, and it’s no fun having to tip-toe past their room every time you nip to the bog. That’s why you should consider lavishing your child-free zone with an ensuite bathroom to save you trudging around the place.
However you decide to furnish your den away from the kids, just make sure you make it a place you enjoy. After all, your time alone is precious.