Can you guess what is the number one [self-quoted] reason preventing moms from exercising? Yup, you got it. Lack of time. As a comparison, lack of time rates third for the general population after lack of motivation and funds. So here comes the ultimate list of time saving tips for moms. It contains all the tricks and services I tried over the past few years to carve out some much needed and much deserved “me time”.
Would you believe me that if I combine all of the suggestions in a single week I can easily get as much as 12 extra hours? This is a lot of time for healthy shopping, cooking and working out. On a very good week, I might even sneak a massage or a facial in there.
For those of us living in Dubai there are additional bonus hours to be saved as there are so many amazing services making our lives easier. If you are not aware of them or are still hesitating whether to use them, below list is for you.
1. Divide and conquer
The way I see it: if you have time to work on getting a body that feels and looks amazing, your mate will be the main beneficiary (after yourself of course). So it is only fair that he invests time in the process. Figure out with your partner what is their hobby/ favourite on-their-own-activity and trade them for it.
While spending majority of the non-working hours as a family is our priority, having a couple of hours per week on our own is equally good for mine and my husband’s mental and physical health. This way, we can come back to the family refreshed and ready to enjoy the rest of our time together.
PRO TIP: Schedule this for the same time every week so it becomes a habit and there is no doubt whose turn it is.
For example in our house, my husband is in charge of Saturday morning extracurricular activities. I use this time to take care of any beauty appointments or go to the gym. And I return the favour on Sunday morning when I hang out around the house with the kids for quiet activities such as reading or board games while he plays tennis. Talking about a win-win situation.
2. Form your own babysitting coop
Taking turns with a friend or a group of friends to take care of each other’s children is not a new idea. You might even be doing it already in some form. It can take many forms but the two strategies that I find most effective and working for everyone involved are:
- Take turns with a friendly neighbor to pick up/drop off the kids from school if they go to the same place. For example, you can be in charge of mornings and they can drive them on the way back home.
- Organize alternating play dates with the parents of your kid’s best friend. One weekend they can play in your house under your supervision and then next one you can drop them off in theirs for a few hours. The kids will have a blast and you and your friend will have some time to yourselves.
PRO TIP: Similarly to the first tip, set it as a reoccurring activity. This way you can easily set a routine of exercising at the same time. Forming lasting habits will always show better results than wasting energy every single week to figure out a way to fit a workout.
If you don’t believe me on the power of habit, read it from the best-selling author of Atomic Habits.
3. Healthy food delivery
You don’t need to spend all of your time in the kitchen even if you have a goal to eat healthy and to feed your family wholesome food. Ordering take out doesn’t need to be pizza and fries. There are many healthy food delivery options especially if you live in Dubai.
4. Time saving kitchen appliances
Check out Kitchen appliances that will make healthy cooking easy for the list of appliances that save me hours every single week while helping me make sure everyone in the house is eating healthy food.
5. Online groceries shopping
Covid had many many bad consequences. But the one positive thing I can think of is the boom of e-commerce. I used to spend minimum of few hours per week just shopping in person for groceries and necessities.
PRO TIP: Amazon’s subscribe and save service. It gives you the option to subscribe on a regular basis for household necessities you order frequently. Not only you don’t need to spend time going to the shop, but you can also eliminate having to remember to order them every week. And you get a discount on top.
For moms living in Dubai: the groceries delivery app I use is NowNow. I have the NowNow plus subscription as I use it so often. It basically waves off the delivery fee so you only pay for the groceries.
And while we are on the topic, here are some additional time saving tips for moms that live in Dubai:
6. Drop-off and play kids play areas in Dubai
The best Dubai kids play areas that offer drop-off:
7. School break camp with transportation in Dubai
If you opt for a camp during school breaks, look for one that offers pick up and drop off by bus such as Dubai Holiday Camps . Camp timing is usually different than school, so this option will disturb your usual routine as little as possible.
8. Dubai fuel delivery to your doorstep
The Dubai based fuel delivery app Cafu represents everything I love about living in Dubai. It is innovative and solves a problem to make residents’ life easier. Even their moto is so in line with the spirit of this article: “We give you the time to do the things that matter“.
Repeat after me: Moms do not need to do everything on their own
If you watched one of my favourite movies about mom life: I don’t know how she does it, you would remember Sarah Jessica Parker lying awake at night and making the List. The List is the constant stream of to-do tasks that every mom has on repeat in her head: remember the school concert, order toilet paper, does Sami have a clean shirt for Friday.
While it is true that women still plan majority of the housework and child care, it doesn’t mean that we need to do every single thing ourselves. From classic tricks like exchanging play date favours with friends to modern day services such as online groceries shopping and mobile fuel delivery. There are so many ways that moms can get some extra hours to invest in their well-being.
