Finding time for yourself is hard, and I don’t mean those ten (or twenty) minutes you’ve stolen away to play on your phone in the bathroom.

As all parents will know, your time is not your own for the majority of the day. However, there are some brief periods when the kids are in bed, the washing up is done, and you don’t need to answer any work emails. This time is yours. Shouldn’t you make the most of it?

There’s not much on TV, so you could just play on your phone and scroll through updates about people you don’t really care about, or you could pour yourself something lovely and listen to a favourite record.

I’ve just upgraded my ‘all in one’ turntable to a beautifully designed and engineered Fluance RT-81 and oh my word, what a difference.

If you’re not sure about the whole resurgence in vinyl ‘fad’, trust me. It’ll rekindle your love for old records and physically holding the sleeves. When you place the needle on a new (or very old) record and listen to the faint crackle and pop before the music warms the room, you’ll understand what the fuss was about years ago, and again now.

The difference between records and CDs for example is like a photograph taken on 35mm film vs a digital point-and-shoot camera. The latter is technically fine but the film will always be warmer and have more feeling behind it. There has to be an appreciation for the art of it all.

You deserve a little something for all your hard work. You need it for your sanity and to restore yourself for another day of dirty diapers and stepping on Lego. So go ahead, treat yourself. I mean it’s not even for you if you think about it. It’s for your family. Mainly you though, so don’t let them touch it.

Also, what’s a record player without a quality record player stand? Find yours at Premier Records

Disclaimer: Fluance sent me their RT-81 turntable to review and I’m so happy they did. My listening experience has totally changed. If you’ll need me, I’ll be in the corner going through my records.