Ever feel like you literally never have a moment of me-time?
Yeah? Well, you are not alone.
According to a new study into the lives of 2000 mums and dads, parents basically don’t have a moment of me-time.
As in, 30 minutes is all we get. 30 measly minutes. Meaning, it is no wonder you are feeling a little snappy at times.
It was a survey conducted by a US meal delivery service that found that the typical parent has just 32 stupid minutes to themselves each day. 32 minutes out of 24 entire hours. And let’s face it – you kind of need to take a shower and use the toilet too, so really, we might be talking of about only 20 minutes when those are deducted.
The study also revealed that many mums (most, I would imagine) sometimes even resort to hiding from the kids for a few moments here and there, just to get a few seconds of peace and headspace.
The survey discovered that as many as 32 percent of parents don’t even stop working until 8pm, when both work and parenting duties are factored in.
Also added to the mix is an average of six car journeys per week taking children to school and other various activities, five trips to the grocery store per week, and, according to the survey, most parents have to deal with their kids acting out and misbehaving an average of five times per week as well.
We are all there, I think. Between cooking and laundry and errands and shopping and cleaning – as well as driving kids to activities, organising playdates, helping out with homework, going to a variety of meetings and so on and so forth.
So free time, then, is ever elusive, if not non-existent when you’re a full-time working parent.
The problem? Well, there are many, of course, maybe especially our own mental wellbeing and moods, because let’s face it, sometimes you just need a little break.
One of the major issues the US survey found, was that a whopping 88 percent of parents admitted to being too busy to cook, with 96 percent reporting that not having enough time to cook results in them indulging in less healthy food, and on average, busy parents skip as many as 227 proper meals per year.
In fact, parents are so busy that they actually skip 227 proper meals every year.
This again can not only impact your health, of course, but also your mood, your ability to cope with life and your relationships with those around you.
How good are YOU at carving out me-time, mums? What would make it easier to get a little bit more free time in your day?
