New study says that working mums are happier when they can order in dinner

I feel like we all like a take away though.

In my job I read a lot of research conducted around parenting and some really surprise me, while others not so much. This new study falls into the 'not surprising at all' category, for me at least. More than likely because I easily could have been one of the mothers they surveyed. A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America found that working mothers who ordered in food regularly said that it was completely worth the money and helped improve their sense of happiness. I know what you're thinking, aren't we all a little happier after we order a take away but being a working mum I can completely relate to where these mums are coming from. It's hard to do it all but often times it's expected that mum should do just that. Do it all and it's just not possible. There have been so many times when I've returned home from work and the thought of then cooking a meal fills me with dread, especially if I've had a bad day at work. Those conducting the study found that this feeling was universal;

"Within many cultures, women may feel obligated to complete household tasks themselves, working a 'second-shift' at home, even when they can afford to pay someone to help."

The recent study that looked at working mothers from the United States, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands found that a link between spending money on time-saving services (like ordering in) and greater life satisfaction. The study also found that many working mothers don't tell people about ordering in because they were afraid that they will be judged. In this day and age I think we need to cut mums some slack and if they want to order in to make life a little easier then they should be able to do without fear of being judged.