How I Use My Smart Watch as a SAHM
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There is nothing chill about being a SAHM. There are not long breaks on the couch while my children harmoniously pick flowers in the backyard. It is chaos.
There are constantly demands of you both physically and mentally. The one thing that truly saves my sanity from a logistical standpoint is my smart watch. I specifically have an Apple Watch, but I’m sure the functionalities that I will mention cross brands.
When I have the groceries in my arms along with the keys, the baby, and my water bottle, there is no chance that I will be able to whip out my phone to do one more thing - cue the handsfree option!
Here are the most common ways that my Apple Watch saves me on a daily basis and the apps that I use.
Timer
I use the timer on my watch more than any other application. I time how long things are in the oven, how long the bottle has been heating up, the inevitable time outs, limitations on screen time, etc. I use the Apple Timer app.
Weather
If a SAHM is telling you that she doesn’t plan her day around the weather, she is lying. If I miss an opportunity to get my kids outside to play, everyone suffers. I keep the weather on the face of my watch so that I can look down and immediately see if it is too hot. I use the Weather app from Apple on the watch face , but I prefer The Weather Channel app to see the forecast on my wrist.
Emails
I do not have the ability to sit down at the computer throughout the day to tackle any emails that come through. Especially when I’m expecting something important, I like to see the email come through immediately so that I can work some quiet time into the day so that I can handle it. I use the Gmail app.
Grocery Shopping
I use my watch to shop whether I am in person (rarely nowadays) or using Instacart. When I am in person, I set up my grocery list on my watch. Maneuvering the cart, three children, and the list on my phone which each of the three children are trying to grab the phone for various reasons is not easy. This way I can just look at the list on my wrist, and the tiny monsters barely notice. I use the Google Keep app.
When I have someone shopping for me, I set up text alerts for change notifications as they shop. I have a child with a food allergy, so replacement items that would typically be fine are not always something that we can have in our house. This is set up through your shopping profile (varies on grocery store) and then I use the text app.
Listening to Music
I hate silence. We always have music on at the very least. I usually have Spotify on a Disney Hits playlist or some chill music depending on our activity level throughout the day. I can pause from my wrist when I need to be sure that I am heard.
I also love this option when I am exercising. I hate having to fumble with my phone while I’m running so being able to skip or like a song is one of my favorite ways to use my watch.
Fitness/Exercise
On days when the last thing that I want to do is exercise, I will whip open my fitness tracker and see that I have already walked 7k steps and be ok with that choice. Or I will see that I am really close to another goal, and it will motivate me to workout. I use the Activity app for this.
I also enjoy tracking distance, pace, and heart-rate when I exercise now since I don’t have Orangetheory doing it for me. This is in the Workout app and then transfers into the Activity app to go into your step count, etc.
Podcasts
When I have a few moments when my kids are playing quietly (or at least in another room) and my baby is napping, I will turn on a podcast. Oftentimes these include cursing, so being able to quickly pause it when I hear the pitter patter of little feet nearby is essential. I use the Podcasts app.
Since I have my watch on 24/7, I love a good reliable bands. I am partial to the silicone sports bands because it can withstand the trauma of my day - paints, chlorine, glitter (eek!), spaghetti sauce, sweat, sand, etc. When we used to go out for dates, I would swap my band for an affordable faux leather one to elevate my look a bit. Below are some that I am eyeing for the next time I update my band. (affiliate links below)
