Mumsnet users share with Sky Kids what they could get done in 30 minutes

[EllieMumsnet]

This activity is now closed

It’s fair to say that once you become a parent your efficiency skills reach their ultimate potential...gone are the days of spending spare minutes procrastinating about the million-and-one things you need to do. Now, when your DCs are watching a bit of telly you can complete the work that previously would have taken you five days of faffing. In half an hour you've changed the beds for the entire family, responded to your important emails, cooked a meal for four people (with dessert), and painted your toenails an exotic shade of blue. With that in mind, Sky Kids would love to know what you can do in the 30 minutes your children are having some down time.

Here’s what Sky Kids has to say: “The Sky Kids App is the perfect solution to keep your kids occupied during their (and your) well-earned downtime. …..With thousands of shows on demand including Paw Patrol, Ben 10 and Horrid Histories and interactive games for all ages like Art Studio, you can buy yourself some free time (enjoy that home pedicure!) safe in the knowledge that the available shows and games they're watching are age-appropriate and of course, entertaining.”

Do you have a to-do list ready and waiting for when you get a spare 30 mins so you can zap through it all? Perhaps when the children are watching Paw Patrol you manage to call and check in with family members whilst simultaneously preparing for a meeting you have the following day? Or maybe you sneak off to another room, finally able to treat yourself to a relaxing bath or watch your favourite TV show while the children watch theirs?

Whatever you’re able to get done, share it on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one winner will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

I spend half hour while my children are eating dinner to wash up, tidy the kitchen and call either my in laws or my parents. I also pop a load of washing in the machine to turn on in the evening and if I get time decide what I am having for dinner once the kids are in bed... If I get 30mins in the day I tend to use it to make the beds, collect all dirty washing, tidy the bathroom and a general quick tidy up. I am surprised after two kids how much I can fit in half hour.

Generally just enough time to wash and make baby bottles, hang out wet washing and vacuum downstairs before she wakes up...

I’d spend the time clearing out a chest of drawers in the living room full of odd bits!

I generally keep on top of my cleaning so I can get quite a bit done in 30 minutes. I can put a load of laundry in the washer, vacuum downstairs and clean the bathrooms.

In a spare 30 minutes I can usually empty the tumble dryer fold and put away those clothes, move a load from the washing machine into the tumble and set another load washing. Can also normally squeeze in a sweep of the bedrooms for any mounds of laundry that my darling off spring and husband haven't managed to get as far as the laundry basket or laundry room.

Sneak off and have a nice relaxing bath...bliss

In a spare 30 mins when the kids are being babysat by cbeebies I can usually put on a load of washing on, empty/stack diswasher,wash up, wipe down surfaces and prep the evening meal. I have it down to a t x

Cook a meal while tidying then kitchen and also sorting all the washing. It’s usually my only chance to get all those jobs done as I turn the laptop back on again to work once the children are in bed

I get home from picking up dd from holiday club while I've been at work.
Within 30 mins, I've generally

• unpacked lunch boxes
• fresh drinks in freezer for tomorrow's lunch
• taken in washing that I hung out before work
• hung out wet washing that I loaded in machine before work
• put away dry washing that doesn't need ironing
• switched on oven
• put baking pots in ready to go with stew already cooked in slow cooker
• set table for dinner
• opened all windows to let fresh air in
• put away my coat and bag
• told DD 6,000 times to take off her shoes

My 2 year old watches half an hour of tv each evening whilst I make dinner and load or unload the dishwasher and washing machine.

I can do a load of washing, fill the dish washer and hoover and steam mop thee entirety of downstairs...these are my necessities

On a morning I do breakfast ,pop the kettle on ,hang out washing ,wash the pots ,clean toilets and sinks ,reply to messages ,pay any bills over the phone ,sweep kitchen floor ,write to do/shopping list then remake another cuppa because I forgot about the first one I made

Hmm 30 mins...
My most productive 30 mins is just after the school run when DS is usually playing by himself. I can:
Run round upstairs and straighten beds/collect cups/retrieve dirty washing
Vacuum downstairs
Empty/reload dishwasher
Wash up if there’s not too much, and wipe surfaces
Put a load of washing on
Put the kettle on

30 min - i can sneak upstairs and watch an episode of something on Netflix!!

Bake some brownies

Put all the laundry away

DC watch 30 mins of TV - in that I can:

• prepare & cook dinner
• do packed lunches for the next day
• sort clothes for the next day
• catch up on texts/ emails
• tidy up

30 mins:

Put kettle to boil, run round and empty small bins into a black sack for going out.

Wash hands, pour boiled water into pan and collate crockery and cutlery while it comes back to the boil. Add pasta.

In the ten minutes the pasta is cooking put liquids in washing machine, grab clothes from upstairs and put on to wash. Fry onion and garlic, add ready made sauce, tear up some mozzarella. Drain pasta, serve with sauce and cheese. Load dirty pans into dishwasher.

In the remaining 15 minutes while they eat:

Find remotes, place by TV, whizz round downstairs and collect up shoes and coats for cupboard. Find backpacks, check for letters from school, pull out reading record.

Ready for the next half hour!

I usually use that short space of down time to get jobs like hoovering, washing up, folding washing etc done.

In 30 minutes I can cook a pasta dish, clean the kitchen and put on a load of washing while on the phone sorting out 'stuff'.

Or I can drink a cup of tea and Mumsnet. :)

In 30 minutes I can hoover and dust upstairs and change the beds....or I can read a book (I wish!!)

I can clean 2 bathrooms, load the washing machine, put some tea on for the kids. Doesn't sound possible and probably wasn't pre kids but it is!

Quick bath; cleanse, tone and moisturise; bleach loo and clean bathroom!

Empty the dishwasher, move the washing around and blissfully stare off into space

Change 2 beds and turn the washer on, prepare dinner and lunch for the next day, put clothes away, tidy 2 bedrooms and make a cup of tea.

Have a quite relaxing bath and hair wash.

Clean the kitchen and mop the floors, exciting times!