DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Even before our daughter was born, my wife was an early bird. I’ve always been a night owl. For years this has been a challenge for us, especially on weekends, when she’s up and ready to go way before I am, and she’s calling it a night when I’m just getting started.
Now that we have a kid it seems to be worse. Even when we get a sitter on a Saturday, we end up making it an early night because my wife loses steam by 10 or 11 p.m., when I’m just hitting my pace.
I don’t want to go out without her a lot, but I miss having a nightlife, and I know she’s sometimes frustrated because she has to wait around for me to be ready to get going on Saturdays and Sundays. What’s a good compromise? --- NIGHT OWL
DEAR NIGHT OWL: Since you’re both dedicated to your ends of the day, a little effort and compromise will be required to find common ground.
You might want to try switching off on doing things early in the day one weekend, and late at night the next.
Beyond that, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy separate, guilt-free peak hours the rest of the time. Your wife can relish a little early morning quiet (until it’s time to be Mommy), and you can get out with buddies who are more on your schedule.