Life is wonderfully full in my 40s. Between raising three kids, keeping up with the household, and making time for my partner, it can feel like there’s always something that needs my attention. Sometimes, by the end of the day, all I want is a little peace and quiet — just a few minutes to myself to breathe, unwind, and feel like me again.
That’s why I was so happy when my partner surprised me with a bath board last Valentine’s Day. It was such a thoughtful gift, and I immediately put it to use for my own little moments of zen. A warm bath, a favourite drink, maybe some very chill music, and absolutely no one asking me for anything. Honestly, sometimes that’s all a mom needs!
But what I didn’t expect was how much the board would bring the two of us together.
We have this amazing soaker tub in our ensuite that, if I’m being honest, we hardly ever use together. Life gets busy, and even when we’re both home, there’s always a chore to finish or something on tomorrow’s to-do list. Somehow, the bath board gave us a reason to finally make that tub a place for us.
Now, we’ll sometimes run a bath, set the board across the tub, and bring along a couple of drinks and snacks. We’ve played cards, challenged each other to chess, and laughed over games that we take far too seriously. It’s become our own little retreat, right in the middle of our busy family home.
But the best part isn’t the games or the snacks. It’s the conversations.
There’s something about stepping away from the television, putting our phones aside, and sitting together in a warm, relaxed space that makes it easier to reconnect. We talk about our days, share things that have been on our minds, laugh about the kids, and sometimes have those deeper conversations that are so easy to put off when life gets hectic.
What started as a zen Valentine’s gift from a year ago, has become a little reminder that making time for each other doesn’t have to mean planning a big date night or finding a babysitter. Sometimes, it just means making the most of what you already have.
We still have our busy days, of course. But now, our soaker tub has become more than a beautiful fixture we rarely use. It’s a place to slow down, share a laugh, and remember that we’re partners as well as parents.
If a bath board can help us make a little more room for romance in the middle of family life, I’d say that’s a pretty wonderful Valentine’s gift.
