Member Article

Busy couples 'have minutes to chat'

The busy lifestyles of millions of British women are to blame for leaving them only ten minutes a day to talk to their partner, a study has found. Juggling work, family and social commitments sees them use post-it notes, text messages, e-mails, or car journeys to talk about the ‘big issues’ with their spouse. This is the verdict of research commissioned by Sheilas’ Wheels car insurance company, which found women who do steal a moment with their partner invariably talk about family.

Work pressures are a common topic of debate, yet the subject receives less attention than sharing daily chores – a talking point for three-quarters of women. But the demands on women’s time are so great that four out of ten admit they save the big issue they want to share with their partner for a car journey. Respondents said that they felt the face-to-face contact, albeit while moving, was an ideal moment to chat with their spouse because the environment of the car offers less distractions.

A spokesperson for Sheilas’ Wheels said: “The car seems to be one haven where couples can chat with one another and discuss their relationship without too many distractions and for a decent length of time.”

When asked how they alert their partner to their desire to chat, one in 14 women said they used e-mail, one in ten used a post-it note, and one in five resorted to sending a text message.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .