When you're a parent it can often feel like your whole day revolves around your children's bedtimes, meal preparation and after-school activities. Even though mums and dads love spending time with their kids, sometimes they just need five minutes to themselves.
But this can be a big ask. Between all the things you have to do as a parent, from making breakfast to doing the school run, it can be hard to find the time. Sometimes they have to get creative.
One mum has been labelled a genius after finding a sneaky way to make sure she's getting some much-needed chill time from both her kids and her husband.
Chrissy J, who often posts relatable family content on TikTok, recently shared a video detailing her cleaver, tongue-in-cheek life hack.
She shared a video from inside her car, which was parked at a retail park, with the caption: "I told my husband I need to go food shopping without the kids.... So I booked a click and collect and spent the morning drinking coffee and buying clothes."
By booking a click and collect slot, Chrissy isn't lying to her husband – she is picking up groceries – but it also gives her time to chill without him wondering where she is.
Other parents were amazed by her life hack – and could relate to just needing a few moments to herself.
One person simply commented: "This is actually genius," while another added: "Mate! Now that's a good idea".
Several people wondered why they had never thought to do it before, and another added: "That's one switched on mama. Bravo."
"You have definitely started a new trend and I'm jumping straight on it," commented another.
"Forget everything else, this is the life hack that I want to learn on TikTok," another praised.
Another mum previously shared her own method for getting an extra 15 minutes to herself by pretending like she's cleaned the floors, and her kids need to stay in their rooms until it's dry.
If you're looking for more parenting hacks, a home education coach has shared how she uses a non-direct approach to get children to clean up without rewards or punishment.
She gives her children a chance to "fix the issue" without them feeling like she's telling them off.
What do you do when you need a moment to yourself? Let us know in the comment section below.
