Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

MN time minimizing

68 replies

MrsDeaconClaybourne · 30/08/2023 11:09

Honestly not a TAAT. Maybe more an "is it me?" than AIBU. Has anyone else noticed there is a real thread for minimizing how much time and effort is involved in things by some posters? A bit like the time equivalent of the mumsnet chicken. So people struggling to keep on top of laundry are told putting a wash on 'only takes 5 minutes' even including hanging out on the line. Changing beds? Ditto 5 minutes. Making a lasagne? It's no trouble - literally no time at all.

Am I just rubbish at household stuff is there some sort of competitive efficiency thing going on?

OP posts:
MrsDeaconClaybourne · 30/08/2023 11:55

BarnacleBeasley · 30/08/2023 11:46

I chop my veg in the food processor and then stick it (the processor not the veg) into the dishwasher and I still can't be arsed making a lasagne. Also making sure the toddler is not in the kitchen when I turn the food processor on because it is Too Noisy probably takes 5 minutes on its own.

See, maybe it's me that's just really inefficient but I think using a food processor is actually quite a faff! 😂 You have to get it out, fit all the bits together, rince it before it goes in the dishwasher. Then put it all back together so it fits back in the cupboard!

OP posts:
FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 30/08/2023 12:00

On one of the 956,723 threads about the cat getting into the neighbour's house, somebody claimed that it 'only' takes 5 minutes to paint 'a bit of muddy wall'.

No priming/cleaning, no buying the paint and materials in the first place, no protecting the floor, no changing your clothes, no carefully opening the paint tin, no carefully closing and storing it somewhere appropriate afterwards, no washing the brushes/rollers, no needing to do the whole wall so that it doesn't look patchy.

And of course, it's a given that everybody has the time, desire and physical ability to do painting themselves!

I agree with PP that it often tends to be the smaller admin/organisation tasks that are much more often done by women that are downplayed and minimised in this way. It's the widespread culture of the female floccinaucinihilipilification factor.

BarnacleBeasley · 30/08/2023 12:00

@MrsDeaconClaybourne true, and I used to think that but my sauce has loads of veg in (one round for carrots, onions, garlic and celery all together, another one for peppers & courgettes), and I've got a really good spatula that gets all the bits out so no rinsing. It is quicker than me chopping everything, but still doesn't make lasagne worth it. I can stretch to bolognese.

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 30/08/2023 12:01

I thought this was going to about minimising time spenton Mumsnet

So did I!

EarringsandLipstick · 30/08/2023 12:02

I agree about the food processor, it's great but definitely a faff!

Stormydayagain · 30/08/2023 12:03

Set up a screen time counter (widget) on you phone home screen and any other devices, and I'm sure you will find plenty of time to cover all these things you need to do.

I know I waste far too much time on screens including Mumsnet.

ErrolTheDragon · 30/08/2023 12:09

Lasagne isn't a 'challenge' but it does take time to do from scratch.

Putting on a wash doesn't take long; sorting the laundry (especially if it's not all in the basket) might take longer. Hanging out - depends if it's sheets or undies, doesn't it?

Organising a kids party though... I suppose it might take 5 minutes if you completely delegate the task to a venue and just invite a whole class so you don't need to list names or do separate invitations. Confused

melj1213 · 30/08/2023 12:13

Same with washing- sticking clothes in the machine takes no time. Collecting said clothes, sorting colours, getting them dry, sorting into individual's and putting them away does take time and it's like a refusal to acknowledge that.

I think things like this are subjective because everyone has basic standards/systems that are their "default" and everyone assumes they have similar set ups so they asume everyone is starting from the same point in the process when they aren't. Also some people take each step separately so when you say "Washing takes 5 mins" they only include anything up to the point of getting the clothes into the machine whereas other people see "washing" as anything up to the clean clothes being returned to the wardrobe/drawer which takes longer than five minutes and is where the disconnect comes.

So take the washing example, DD and I live in a small flat and have a sorter laundry basket that lives in the hall between our bedrooms. There's only the two of us (and just me on weeks when DD is with her dad) so we rarely need to do more than one load of each (lights/whites/darks/towels and sheets) per week.

When I come to do laundry all I have to do is take the relevent basket (lights/whites/darks) and put it in the machine. From collecting the basket to turning on the machine takes about a minute and a half due to the fact all of the sorting is pre done and the basket lives literally 15 steps away from the washing machine due to the size of our flat.

When it comes to drying it, we don't have a tumble dryer (no space) or outside space for a line so it all goes on an airer in the kitchen and all I have to do is take the clothes from the machine and immediately hang them on the airer, it takes 5/6 mins at most.

Putting away the clothes takes maybe 5-10 mins as we are mostly a folding family and I don't really iron so things go from the airer, folded into a basket (and I tend to batch things so take all DDs t-shirts and fold them and then her bottoms etc so when she puts them away she just has to take the pile of tops and the pile of bottoms and put them into the drawer) and then into the bedroom 15 steps away to be put away.

My sister on the other hand has three kids in a three floor townhouse ... Each child has their own laundry basket so on laundry day she collects each basket from the top floor, brings them to their utility room in the basement, sorts them all into L/D/W piles and puts the first load on which takes 10/15 minutes.

When the laundry is done they have a large garden so she hangs stuff out to dry as much as possible so has to put it in the basket, take it upstairs and outside and peg it all out ... If it's raining she has a dryer but puts as much as possible on airers in their conservatory so still has to take stuff out of the washer, sort it into"dryer/airer" piles, take the airer pile up the stairs, set up the airer and hang it all up which easily takes 20 mins.

When it's done she is an ironer and hangs lots of things so putting laundry away means she has to bring it in off the line where it's then split into "ironing pile" and "things to be taken to their rooms" and she has to split things into multiple baskets and then return the baskets to the rooms on the top floor, all of which takes about 20 minutes

So for me, all in, laundry (from dirty clothes to being back in the drawer) takes 20 active minutes -wash cycle not included - whereas for my sister it takes an hour, just because our individual circumstances are different not because either of us is faster/slower at the actual process.

WeWereInParis · 30/08/2023 12:15

Changing beds? Ditto 5 minutes.

I don't mean to sound like the kind of person you're complaining about...but that is how long changing a bed takes, isn't it?
How long would you say? Even if you think it takes longer, 5 minutes can't be that much of an underestimation.

MrsDeaconClaybourne · 30/08/2023 12:22

WeWereInParis · 30/08/2023 12:15

Changing beds? Ditto 5 minutes.

I don't mean to sound like the kind of person you're complaining about...but that is how long changing a bed takes, isn't it?
How long would you say? Even if you think it takes longer, 5 minutes can't be that much of an underestimation.

You're probably right with that one to be fair. 😂I think it's just always part of a thread that says I change the bedding every day/week - it only takes 5 minutes. It does but that doesn't take into account any of the other factors like keeping on top of having clean bedding etc.

Our bed is in a bit of a tight spot so getting a fitted sheet on IS a bit of a faff so that has perhaps clouded my judgement!

OP posts:
Gliomes · 30/08/2023 12:23

Yup, the examples you'vee picked are all good ones. I make lasagne about once a year, I hang out washing as much as I can. I should probably be more sympathetic to my teens who seem to take forever to do tasks that are automatic to me, like boiling pasta or emptying the dishwasher.

@Lamelie yup! I suspect the answer for me is to put the bloody phone down.

Perisoire · 30/08/2023 12:24

EarringsandLipstick · 30/08/2023 11:47

There are people on the lasagne thread saying it doesn't take much time and effort though and that just isn't true.

I'm one of those saying that - it is true. For me.

I know all the tasks but I can easily & time efficiently do them so it's not a faff. For me!

I'd often prep the Bolognese as I'm getting breakfast / lunches ready. It'll be in the oven for an hour so done before we all leave for work / school.

But equally there are any amount of things that I do find a faff and will procrastinate over. Or if I'm in a low mood, will seem too hard. It's individual to the person.

What's your lasagne recipe. Mine is veggie lasagne:

  • chop up 4 different vegetables and garlic and mix with olive oil and seasoning then roast in oven for 30 mins
  • make a white sauce from scratch with milk, butter, flour and cheddar cheese
  • Make a tomato sauce from scratch with onions, garlic and tinned tomatoes and add in roasted veggies
  • Cook the lasagne sheets on hob (as dry lasagne sheets just aren't nice)
  • Assemble lasagne layers and top with cheddar cheese and parmesan

I can save some time by making the tomato sauce whilst the veggies are roasting but all in all it takes me a minimum of 2 hours to get it ready, and then it needs 40 mins in the oven.

Moraxella · 30/08/2023 12:25

@WandaWonder

everything takes twice as long as my baby hates watching me do housework 🥲 I have tried powering through while she screams but then OH is WFH

ErrolTheDragon · 30/08/2023 12:25

How long to change a bed depends on the bedding. Single with just a bottom sheet, single duvet and a pillow or two, not long at all to strip and remake.

Unfortunately we now seem to have double beds with various combinations of sheets and blankets and double duvets and lots of pillows. Grin

tiggergoesbounce · 30/08/2023 12:27

I think people are getting points mixed up. A lasagne is not challenging or difficult, nor is the OP suggesting it is, they are pointing out the fact that making one from scratch is time consuming and more faffy than other teas.

The same with parties, that is not a 5 min job for anyone i know, and i know mums who ship it all out and its still a bigger job than 5mins with the phone calls to delivery the party.

But yes OP, there will always be people who want to minimise jobs.

DyslexicPoster · 30/08/2023 12:28

I wish and line dry nearly ever day. I timed myself folding and hanging out washing and it took 15 minutes. Do if I need to get it done before the school run it's impossible unless I get up 30 minutes early.

Everything takes an age unless your constantly on it and never stop. So dishwasher loading is fast... if you immediately unload once done and load as you use stuff. Wiping down takes seconds... if you wipe down multiple times a day.

I worked full time and housework took up less time then as I was under pressure, also gave less shits about it as there was minimal time to get it done.

MrsDeaconClaybourne · 30/08/2023 12:29

ShirleyPhallus · 30/08/2023 11:49

My favourite word on here is “just” which somehow manages to reduce absolutely any task in to a teeny tiny thing which takes no time at all

”making a lasagne is so easy, just make a ragu and a white sauce, just assemble it then in to oven. It takes minutes”.

This is what I mean! I don't find making lasagne remotely difficult at all. It's my favourite thing to make and I love that it can be done in advance and all the clearing up out of the way. But, if you do it properly there is a lot of chopping, grating and clearing up to be done which takes time however good at it and efficient you are! Obviously if you use short cuts for these things, like frozen veg, which I often do, it makes it easier and quicker but that's not what I'm talking about.

OP posts:
annalouise1984 · 30/08/2023 12:30

RhymesWithTangerine · 30/08/2023 11:51

That lasagne thread was ridiculous - the person who did the extra step of freezing it all didn’t really seem to appreciate that was an extra step etc.

Lasagne isn’t a hassle compared to eg a physics PhD but it is a hassle in meal prep terms.

Agreed. Lasagne takes me forever, easily 2 hours 😬

TeenDivided · 30/08/2023 12:38

I agree there are minimisers, especially on 'mental load' threads.

They only include the act of doing 'booking a holiday? 5 mins' not the researching & deciding, or follow up activities.

e.g. Buying a birthday present takes 1 minute to click on Amazon, but only after you have remembered the birthday, checked what might be suitable (eg if for a niece or nephew), & sourced the 'best' one within budget. Then when it arrives you need to wrap it too.

SchadenfreudeIstMeinMittelname · 30/08/2023 12:39

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 30/08/2023 12:00

On one of the 956,723 threads about the cat getting into the neighbour's house, somebody claimed that it 'only' takes 5 minutes to paint 'a bit of muddy wall'.

No priming/cleaning, no buying the paint and materials in the first place, no protecting the floor, no changing your clothes, no carefully opening the paint tin, no carefully closing and storing it somewhere appropriate afterwards, no washing the brushes/rollers, no needing to do the whole wall so that it doesn't look patchy.

And of course, it's a given that everybody has the time, desire and physical ability to do painting themselves!

I agree with PP that it often tends to be the smaller admin/organisation tasks that are much more often done by women that are downplayed and minimised in this way. It's the widespread culture of the female floccinaucinihilipilification factor.

Edited

I love this word!

Hereinthismoment · 30/08/2023 12:41

I once started a near riot on here when I admitted to buying pre chopped onions. Apparently chopping them takes seconds, I am a lazy sloth with no redeeming features, and fresh onions are much nicer.

Perisoire · 30/08/2023 12:48

Hereinthismoment · 30/08/2023 12:41

I once started a near riot on here when I admitted to buying pre chopped onions. Apparently chopping them takes seconds, I am a lazy sloth with no redeeming features, and fresh onions are much nicer.

I think pre-chopped onions are great but when put in the freezer they have an awful soggy consistency once defrosted.

Stormydayagain · 30/08/2023 12:49

Hereinthismoment · 30/08/2023 12:41

I once started a near riot on here when I admitted to buying pre chopped onions. Apparently chopping them takes seconds, I am a lazy sloth with no redeeming features, and fresh onions are much nicer.

It's actually more environmentally friendly, for a lot of fruit and veg, to buy prepared and frozen as they can be grown and frozen in the natural growing season when their is a glut and it is more space efficient for transport (chopped peppers particular), and can be transport buy sea not air.

So next time your onion use gets questioned just 'educate' them back.

My problem is my freezer isn't big enough for all the frozen fruit and veg I'd like to keep in it.

Hereinthismoment · 30/08/2023 12:50

I’m not a massive fan of anything frozen that shouldn’t be, if that makes sense. My mother used to freeze bread and it was always revolting.

WinterFireJanuaryEmbers · 30/08/2023 12:50

I think things like this are subjective because everyone has basic standards/systems that are their "default" and everyone assumes they have similar set ups so they asume everyone is starting from the same point in the process when they aren't.

I agree with the this.

Take the food processor example: I don't have to get it out the cupboard and assemble it - because it lives assembled on the side. I also don't (bother!) rinsing it before bunging it in the dishwasher because I use a spatula to scrape out the bowl. I don't have to bother reassembling it, because it's someone else's job to empty the dishwasher Grin

Which makes veg chopping in the FP, literally a 5 min job. But it would be a bit silly of me to assume it's 5 mins for everyone.

Swipe left for the next trending thread