Quiz: Have you got new parent syndrome?

Parents said their attitudes to dating changed after having children. Photo / Getty Images

After the birth of your child, have you noticed a decline in quality time with your partner, seem to go on less dates and say, "I love you" less often?

According to a new study, becoming a family sees parents losing the romance in their relationship.

Researchers found couples enjoyed, on average, two dates a month before children. This fell to one a month after starting a family.

While over half of parents in the study said they had never had a weekend away without their children, more than one in 10 said it had been six months or more since they went on a date.

Take this quiz to see how your love life is fairing with the addition of children:

DATE NIGHTS
LESS THAN ONE A MONTH: ONE POINT
MORE THAN ONE A MONTH: TWO POINTS

Of the other nine out of 10 who said the number of date nights had dropped since having children, 57 per cent blamed it on being too busy.

Other reasons included not being able to afford to go out and not wanting to leave the children at home.

Eighty-seven per cent of parents said their attitudes to dating changed after having children with nearly half admitting it became less of a priority.

QUALITY TIME WITH PARTNER:
LESS THAN SIX HOURS A WEEK: ONE POINT
MORE THAN SIX HOURS A WEEK: TWO POINTS

Quality time was the hardest hit for new parents dropping from 14 hours a week to just six.

Most considered quality time to include the whole family rather than just as a couple.

SAY 'I LOVE YOU'
LESS THAN 40 TIMES A MONTH: ONE POINT
MORE THAN 40 TIMES A MONTH: TWO POINTS

Romantic gestures were found to drop by a quarter with children on the scene. And parents say "I love you" 52 times less than couples without youngsters.

KISSING
LESS THAN TEN TIMES A WEEK: ONE POINT
MORE THAN TEN TIMES A WEEK: TWO POINTS

Couples found once their baby arrived, kissing went from 13 times a week to 10.

SEX
LESS THAN TWICE A WEEK: ONE POINT
MORE THAN TWICE A WEEK: TWO POINTS

Being intimate is one area new parents still make time for, the study found. Parents have sex as often as those without children - an average of twice a week.

NIGHTS OUT WITH FRIENDS AS A COUPLE
LESS THAN ONCE A MONTH: ONE POINT
MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH: TWO POINTS

NIGHTS OUT WITH FRIENDS, WITHOUT PARTNER
LESS THAN ONCE A MONTH: ONE POINT
MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH: TWO POINTS

Despite results revealing a general decline in romance, 85 per cent of parents said they generally felt happier and more satisfied after having children.

Liz Fraser, modern family expert for Care.com, who commissioned the research, said: "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."

HOW DID YOU SCORE?

Less than 10 points? You've officially joined the new parent club.