Time-saving techniques used by mums

by Shabana Adam | 14 September 2012

A study carried out among 2,000 mothers found hectic schedules, which involve running the kids to and from schools and clubs, leave 84 per cent of mums willing to try anything to save time.

Parenting on Female First

Common ‘time savers’ include using sauces rather than cooking meals from scratch and putting medicine in milkshakes, while some mums find they are too busy to do the morning lunchbox run, paying for school dinners instead.

Adding sweet treats to kids’ meals where possible emerged as another common cheat, as well as disguising vegetables as something more appetising.

However, four in 10 mums admit they feel their lack of time is starting to compromise the health and well being of their children.

Susanne Wright, a spokesman for Seven Seas Haliborange, said: “The average mum is the engine of any family and often forced to take a lot on to keep things running smoothly every day.

“It’s no surprise mums look to innovative ways of saving time in order to fit everything in and it’s remarkable the amount the average mum achieves,” she added.

Other common time savers adopted by mums include laying the school uniform out the night before, hanging clothes up rather than ironing and writing names in uniforms with pen rather than sewing in labels.

Spraying deodrant into smelly shoes rather than buying new ones, delegating household tasks to other members of the family and using the ‘three second rule’ when dropping food on the floor, rather than replacing it, also help to save time.

However, the research suggests that despite mums’ best efforts, not all ‘time-savers’ are beneficial for children’s health and diet.

One in 10 mums admit offering their kids sweet treats to get them to finish a meal and a further fifth said they regularly resort to drive-through fast food meals to make up for a lack of time.

In addition, over one in 10 time-strapped mums claim to resort to plying their children with biscuits to keep them quiet.

Independent Nutritionist, Dr Emma Derbyshire, said: “This Haliborange research shows mums are excellent multi-taskers and they are obviously creative when it comes to managing demanding family life.

“Keeping children fit and well is important to mums but it is fair to say a lack of time can make it difficult to make healthy choices for their children.

“However, a few small changes like swapping biscuits for a piece of fruit or considering a children’s multivitamin supplement if your child is a fussy eater can help support your child’s health and wellbeing,” she said.

Unsurprisingly, a fed up third of mums feel they don’t get enough support in the running of their home, with more than one in 10 saying they do absolutely everything.

A non-stop three in 10 mums suffer from stress most days, while over a quarter feel taken for granted and almost a fifth are overwhelmed by their daily routine.

It is clear mums will always put the needs of their family first, with precious time with a partner or friends and well deserved ‘me time’ being the first things sacrificed.

In fact, the average mum gets just over an hour to herself in the evening on the rare occasions where things go to plan.

The ironing and vacuuming are next to be pushed aside, followed by cooking homemade meals and an additional one in ten mums worry their lack of time means their child’s exercise is affected.

Susanne added: “The reality is that mum’s are in danger of burning themselves out from hectic family lives and, in some cases, a lack of help from their partners.

“Even mums in relationships often find the onus falls on them to keep the family running smoothly.

“Mum’s should not be afraid to ask for help from their family or partner and may find it beneficial to encourage them to be more involved in the day to day running of the home.

“Mum’s are doing the best they can to maintain their children’s health and wellbeing however a lack of support often makes taking care of their children, the way they want to, challenging," she said.