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

[EllieMumsnet]

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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

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Do a wash and hang it out
MN

I do indeed use the tv to get things like phone calls done or for anything I need quiet or to concentrate. Often I'll do all the jobs that need doing within a two hour or so window late afternoon. Make dinner, tidy and hoover, wash up, sort and organise, tidy after dinner and get kids to bed whilst tidying upstairs. Then it's all done once they're in bed and I can do whatever I please for all of about 45 minutes.
If I was to plan housework time I'd never find my desire to do it correlating with the time so I prefer to wait til I'm ready then just get the lot done.

have an awesome snooze

It depends on what is happening. If I have unexpected guests I can have the whole house immaculate. washing in, dishwasher on, hoovered, dusted/wiped down, mopped, beds made, kitchen cleaned, toilet cleaned, wash baskets filled and hidden, books tidied. In a normal half an hour the dishwasher on, kitchen cleaned and the washing machine on.

In 30 mins I can achieve a level of tidiness my twins can undo in 30 seconds. There is a power asymmetry to this.

If I know I only have half an hour, I can manage to get quite a lot done by speeding round. Can tidy the living room, vacuum, wipe sides down, load washing etc.

Often though on the rare times I have half an hour without a child around, I choose to watch tv or read and clean when I can around the children.

Obviously lots of things can be (and are) done in 30mins but if it's 30mins where I'm purposefully trying to distract the DC, then it would be down time so I'd read a book (or MN!) in peace :)

Definitely would book in for a massage!

Sit down with a cup of tea, a slice of cake and read the paper - chores can wait!

It's took me about 30 mins to dust, clean and vacuum the living room yesterday. I can do the kitchen and put a wash away in that time too. I do housework a lot faster these days.

I'm heavily pregnant so I'd have a lovely lie down

I spend half an hour of free time either catching up on various phone calls with my hands in the washing up bowl at the same time or... meditating 🙏🏻 usually depends on how the day has gone so far 😂

On a normal day after school I would come in after the school run then...

• fall through door laden with bags and instruments
• Clean breakfast dishes away
• Supervise DC starting homework
• Move washing to tumble dryer then put another load on.
• Get dinner on
• Lay table
• Sort uniform for next day.
• Check phone and calendar to make sure none of DC has swimming, trip, need costume or money for the next day to avoid full on panic the following morning!

In the holidays, leave DC playing, reading, go on mumsnet or watch tv programmes about buying my dream holiday home abroad 😁.

Prep next night's dinner & wash up from tonight, clean kitchen floor or have a shower.

If the kids are occupied for half an hour I would probably take the opportunity to catch up on one of my tv shows (whilst doing the ironing) unless I'm feeling really indulgent then I would put my feet up and read a good book!

I can do a major tidy up in 30 minutes! Since having the dc I am a tidying machine I can do it so fast because I have to make use of any small window of time!!

If I get a spare 30 minutes (never happens) I like to tidy away laundry properly so its all nicely folded, in the right places and everything that needs to ironed is done and put away.

On a good day, I can get the laundry changed over/ started, empty the bins, do a quick check/ clear of the fridge, check emails, pay a couple of bills, squeeze in a spot of online shopping and have a cuppa.

On a bad day, I can manage to grab a few breathes before she starts running around again!

Oh god, it's amazing how much you can get done in 30 minutes! That's about right for emptying and reloading the dishwasher, wiping down the kitchen and sweeping the floor.

Over the holidays, my house only gets done in 30 minute blocks!

Usually exciting jobs like unloading and reloading the dishwasher, hanging out the laundry and placing the grocery order!

If I can't be bothered doing that, then I sneak off and watch half an episode of the box set that i am watching! With a sneaky biscuit!

Load the washing machine and put it on. Unload and re-stack dishwasher. Put away breakfast things. Have a think about what to cook that evening.

I could do something amazing I’m sure but what I’d actually do is drink a hot cup of tea and read a newspaper.
Never allowing yourself to switch off from all the endless drudgery of parenting is most unhealthy!

Half an hour is a good 2000 words for my novel. The hard part is finding the half hour while I'm in the write mood (yes that was a pun, and yes it was a bad one).

Wash up dinner things, put a load of washing on the line/airer, put out recycling, make my lunch for work the next day, check bags to make sure everything needed for school/nursery is ready.

With a spare 30 minutes I would wash up and put the things away, put a load of washing on, get a loaf in the breadmaker and clean the bathrooms.