- Being a parent sees the number of kisses shared drop by 30%
- Nearly half of all parents (43%) have never had a romantic weekend away without their children and 1 in 10 parents say it’s over six months since their last date night
- Time and childcare are key date night killers
- When it comes to intimacy, however, parents are still finding time for a moment together with parents having as much sex as non-parents
13th November 2015 – Parenthood comes with its hurdles but a new study from Care.com has revealed that over 3/4s of British parents (85%) feel more satisfied and happier since having children. Romance, however, remains an area to be improved on with the findings showing that new parents have less quality time together, go on fewer date nights and say ‘I love you’ less often than before they had children.
Sacrificing Date Night
Making time for date nights is a problem modern couples face with most only enjoying an average of two a month even before children, but after starting a family this average drops to less than one a month, according to the findings. One in 10 parents admit it has been six months or more since they last went out with their partner while another one in 10 reckon it has been so long, they can’t remember their last date night. Nearly half of parents (43%) have never had a romantic weekend away without their children.
Of the nine in ten parents who say the number of date nights they go on with their partner has dropped since they had children, 57% feel it’s because they are too busy, while another 56% struggle to find childcare. Other reasons include not being able to afford to go out and not wanting to leave the children.
Over 3/4s (87%) of parents also admitted their attitudes to couple time changed after their children were born, with four in 10 saying it became less of a priority. More than a quarter claim date nights only really happen for special occasions while 15% appreciate the time out with their other half more than they once did. Family time is also considered more valued quality time with 91% of parents admitting they’d now rather spend time together as a family than alone with their partner.
Liz Fraser, Modern Family Expert for Care.com, commented: “Everyone knows having children is life-changing but regardless of the changes most parents would say having their children was the best moment of their lives, and that they couldn’t imagine living without them now they are here. Taking some time with your partner is important though, to ensure you keep the closeness of your relationship and retain that feel good factor that comes from being intimate. Resources such as Care.com are available to make date nights as easy as possible with access to qualified babysitters. Even small things like a meal out or an afternoon spent alone together really do help make a difference in the long run.”
Shared Intimate Moments
After starting a family, parents also admit they share fewer intimate moments with fewer kisses and less romance in their relationship. Couples also go from kissing each other 13 times a week to just 10 times once they have a baby in their lives. Being intimate, however, is one area couples with children still make time for – British parents have sex an average of twice a week, the same UK average as couples without children.
Romantic gestures drop by a quarter from once a week to just three times a month after children are born, while ‘I love you’ is said just 468 times a year – 52 times less than the 520 times couples without youngsters say it to each other.
In order to help keep the romance alive, Care.com provides a simple and easy to use resource through which parents can locate childcare options. From long term nannies through to occasional babysitters, the website can help ensure that date nights are put back in the calendar.
-ENDS-
*Research conducted by Care.com of 2,000 Britons in relationships, including 1,000 parents of children under seven
For further information on the study or Care.com, contact:
Harriett Osborne harriett.osborne@emanatepr.com 020 7611 3883
Hannah Wrathall Hannah.wrathall@emanatepr.com 020 7611 3599
NOTES TO EDITOR:
Since launching in 2007, Care.com (NYSE: CRCM) has been committed to solving the complex care challenges that impact families, caregivers, employers, and care service companies. Today, Care.com is the world’s largest online destination for finding and managing family care, with 17.8 million member consumers* across 16 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and parts of Western Europe, and approximately half a million employees of corporate clients having access to our services. Spanning child care to senior care, pet care, housekeeping and more, Care.com provides a sweeping array of services for families and caregivers to find and manage care or find employment.
* September 2015
BREAKDOWN OF KEY STATS:
DATE NIGHTS
Parents – Once a month
Non-parents – Twice a month
QUALITY TIME WITH PARTNER
Parents – Six hours a week
Non-parents – 13 hours and 38 minutes
SAY ‘I LOVE YOU’
Parents – 39 times a month/ 468 times a year
Non-parents – 43 times a month/ 520 times a year
KISS
Parents – 10 a week
Non-parents – 13 a week
ROMANTIC GESTURES
Parents – three a month
Non-parents – four a month
SEX
Parents – Twice a week
Non-parents – Twice a week
NIGHTS OUT WITH FRIENDS AS A COUPLE
Parents – Once a month
Non-parents – Twice a month
NIGHTS OUT WITH FRIENDS, WITHOUT PARTNER
Parents – Once a month
Non-parents – Twice a month
Top five reasons parents go on fewer date nights:
1. We are too busy to go out
2. We struggle to find childcare
3. We can’t afford to go out
4. I/My partner doesn’t like to leave the children
5. We don’t have a clear night where we are both free to go out