What ever happened to “me time”?
With little ones constantly in tow (or even after a long day at the office), it can be quite the challenge to find the time to squeeze in a cardio session or get that hot stone massage you so desperately need … and deserve! Never mind wardrobe updates—the last time your closet got a makeover, Justin Bieber was holding a rattle instead of a microphone. But luckily for all you busy moms, your local gyms, spa sites and other locales where you can enjoy a bit of leisure time are catching on—offering childcare services on-site, or nearby at a drop-in care facility. Here, you can leave the little ones to be looked after while you get that workout or massage treatment; your grocery shopping done or wardrobe updated.
It’s made all the difference for Flower Mound mom Ausa Salem Faria, mom to Lauren, 7, and Madison, 24 months.
“As a working mom, you go to the gym whenever you can,” she says. “So it’s really convenient [that my gym has child care] … one less worry for me.”
So whether you’re a stay-at-home mom looking for a respite, or a working mother who needs to finish that personal to-do list and keep an eye on the kids, we’ve rounded up a child-friendly selection of places around North Texas that can also provide care for the kiddies—so you can get your own time out!
Faria along with other busy moms, has figured out at least one way to squeeze in some time to herself. The gym, for instance. It’s clear from that first step through the glass doors and that first swipe of your membership card that there are some things at the gym that just aren’t made for the children—case in point, elliptical machines, heavy free weights and those fancy step machines.
And after a long, grueling workout, the sauna may not always cut it. Wouldn’t it be nice to give your tired legs (and shoulders and back) a little kneading after that hour on the treadmill or those miles on the stationary bike? But the spa, like the gym, isn’t exactly a toddler’s paradise. But there’s good news. You can drop the tots off at the child center at Lifetime Fitness (3100 Churchill Drive, Flower Mound. 972/355-5000 or www.lifetimefitness.com) while you get in on some serious leg and ab work, and then indulge in a relaxing massage … all in one trip! Leave the little ones with care providers who will entertain and keep a watchful eye on them and if necessary—though they may interrupt you to change a dirty diaper or two. Your little ones will be kept plenty busy with infant toys, push toys, computers (all G-rated games), board games, and they can burn off energy playing soccer, kickball and hockey. Keep in mind before you drop them off: there is no milk or juice allowed on the toddler floor (only water), but the staff will bottle feed your infant. The child center is open from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri. and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Ages 3 months to 11 years are welcome. Call ahead to reserve an infant room for children who are not yet walking. The maximum capacity of children is 51, and you can expect one adult to 12 toddlers and one adult to every four infants. The cost for this service is $6 per child per month added to your membership.
But what do you do when you get home from that grueling workout? As tired as you are, you’ve got mouths to feed—hungry ones at that. You open the pantry … not quite the ingredient list for a five-star meal (or even star-shaped pasta that will satisfy a 2-year-old). Or what about that night the mother-in-law decided to drop in unexpectedly for dinner? When you’ve got to prep a meal for an impromptu dinner guest, it’s not always easy to go through the aisles at your leisure—especially when your curious tot is clamoring for whatever catches his eye. Check out Huggie Land at Kroger (1101 Flower Mound Road, Flower Mound, 214/495-0202 or www.kroger.com) when you’ve got grocery shopping to do. The kids will stay entertained with TV, coloring books, video games, movies and gender-specific toys. For ages 3-7, and you need to enroll the first time you drop the kids off. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Kids will be issued a wristband, and they need to wear shoes the whole time. Maximum capacity is about 11 children, and you can expect one adult to be supervising the little ones. Better still, this service is free.
As for retail therapy, every woman needs to treat herself to a little something, whether it’s a pair of jeans or a perfect pair of pumps. But it’s pretty hard to try on either when your little munchkin is tugging on your shirt. Check out The Shops at Highland Village (Northwest corner of FM 2499 and FM 407, Highland Village 214/706.2553 or theshopsathighlandvillage.com) where you can get in some shopping and drop off the little ones—without losing that awesome parking space you were able to snag. Within the shopping center lies Adventure Kids Playcare, so while your shop a bevy retail shops or savor a meal at one of the many restaurants available, the kids will keep busy with story time, movie watching, a playscape, air hockey, staff-led activities, arts and crafts, karaoke, Playstation games, Xbox and more. The staff is full trained in CPR and first aid, so you can shop without worry. Open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 8 a.m.-12 a.m. Fri. and 9 a.m.-12 a.m. Sat; Sun. is for birthdays only. Feel free to drop the kids off anytime, but on weekends it’s advised that you call ahead to reserve a spot! Adult to child ratio (for under 18 months) is one to four, and for older tykes it’s one to eight. Maximum capacity is 92 kids—but maximum-capacity days are very rare. Ages 6 weeks to 12 years are welcome. The cost for this service is $40 for an annual membership; each time you drop in you’ll pay $9 per hour for infants, $7.50 per hour child and $4 for each additional child. Meals are $3.50.
Now that you’ve gotten all the tough stuff out of the way- your workout, your grocery shopping…take some time for some real R&R. After a long day of errand running and toting toddlers around what multitasking mom doesn’t have knots in her back or a furrow in her brow? Hunker down for some well-deserved TLC sans the little ones.
You can kick back at The Spa & Salon at Four Seasons (4150 N. MacArthur Blvd.,Irving, 972/717-0700 or fourseasons.com), which offers children a place to participate in arts and crafts, romp on the playground, play dodgeball and skeeball, watch movies, and play with toys- all while you get in some real relaxation (you must be signed up for a spa treatment to use child care). Kids can fill their tummies with pretzels, milk and lemonade. But on Friday nights (date night for you!) you can drop them off for Kids Night In, where they’ll be entertained with dinner, games, crafts and movies-and you can enjoy a night with the hubby. Cost is $35 for members and $45 for hotel guests. The ratio of kids to adults is two to one for children younger than 18 months, and six to one for older kids. Those ages 2 months to 13 years old are welcome. Childcare hours are between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Cost is $7.80 per hour for spa members, $13 per hour for Four Seasons hotel guests and free for kids older than 5 years old.
Now that you can get a tension-busting massage, do some reps on the stability ball and get everything you need to prepare a feast (and gain a little peace of mind while you’re at it), you may just start to wonder how you got it all done before. Our best guess is that, with all these enticing out-of-the-house options, it’s the kiddos who are going to be begging to head out to “run errands with mommy.”
