1. Understanding and reflection You miss the longer conversations you and your partner used to have, and you want more affection and focused time together alongside everyday responsibilities. Reported events: Most evenings involve talking about chores, followed by separate screen time. You have suggested spending more time together without explaining what you have in mind. Stated experience and needs: You miss those conversations and want affection, focused attention, and connection. Interpretations: This routine alone does not establish how much either person loves or values the other. Unknowns: You do not yet know how your partner experiences the routine or what kind of shared time they would enjoy. No differences in power or decision-making have been described. Consider these four questions: Feelings: When you hope for conversation and the evening moves toward screens, what do you notice—perhaps loneliness, disappointment, restlessness, or something else? Unmet needs: What would help you feel connected most: being listened to, sharing something personal, physical affection, or enjoying an activity together? Expectations: What small amount of regular time would feel meaningful while leaving room for individual downtime? Existing support: Are there moments with your partner when connection already feels easier, or other relationships that help you feel heard? 2. Patterns and choices The pattern you describe is an evening routine centered on practical matters and separate activities. Your earlier suggestion left “more time together” open to interpretation. Making it concrete could help you explore whether your preferences overlap; it does not make you solely responsible for creating connection. Within your control: You can explain what you miss, offer a specific idea, listen to your partner’s preferences, and decide whether an alternative would meet your needs. You can request: A small, regular activity with focused attention, plus your partner’s input about timing and format. Requiring mutual participation: Agreeing on the activity, making time for it, and taking part willingly. You can invite this; you cannot supply both people’s engagement. A weekly walk is one possible starting point. The underlying need is connection, so another activity may work if it offers the attention you are seeking. 3. Request and boundary Specific request: Try a 20-minute walk without phones once a week for two weeks, choosing the day together, then discuss whether you both enjoyed it. Boundary based on your actions: “If we’re in the middle of separate screen time, I’ll ask for a better moment to talk instead of continuing an important conversation while attention is divided.” This protects your attention without setting rules for your partner’s screen use. Conversation script: “I’ve noticed that most evenings we talk about chores and then spend time on separate screens. I miss our longer conversations, and I’d like some regular time when we can give each other our attention. Would you be open to trying a 20-minute walk without phones once a week for the next two weeks? I’d also like to hear how our evenings feel to you and whether there’s something else you’d prefer.” 4. Small next step At a calm moment, ask whether your partner has a few minutes to talk about your evening routine. If they do, share the invitation and leave room for their response. Afterward, ask yourself: Did I explain what connection would look like for me, and what did I learn about my partner’s preferences? Did we find a small activity we both want to try, or is something still unclear?