Equality in parenting is still a pipe dream. Nearly half (48%) of working moms say they spend more time each day parenting than on their careers, more than double that of working dads (19%), according to the "Moms Who Do More" National Report, commissioned by VTech®.
Because moms are picking up so much slack at home AND at work, most moms agree "me time" is nearly extinct. Nearly 70% of working moms have an hour or less to themselves each day. And more than 20% report that they have less than fifteen minutes.
When parents were asked to add up how many hours they spend parenting each day, moms beat dads hands down. Moms average nearly 7.5 hours per day spent on parenting tasks, while dads clock an average of 4.3 hours per day. Over a year, that difference adds up to an extra 1150 hours of parenting duty for moms!
Parenting expert Dr. Michele Borba encourages moms to put away their "supermom" capes and let family and friends pitch in.
Dr. Michele Borba's Tips for Moms Who Do More:
Daily decompress time - Instead of sneaking off to steal time to check emails or Facebook, synchronize your online time with your child's play time. Make sure they have a tech toy that is not only fun but also helps them learn.
Create a "mom-semble" - Whether it's your friends, your playgroup or the ladies you see at the coffee shop each day, most moms are going through the same issues as you and want time to relax with some friends. Plan fun events and activities that act as a support system and let you have some girl time while the kids play.
Dinner planning parties - Get a small group of moms organized to plan meals each week. Everyone splits the ingredient list and takes turn hosting a cooking night – at the end each family ends up with enough meals for their families to last the week! This is a great way to knock out healthy family dinners in one shot.
Ask for help - More than 60% of moms want help with parenting but are afraid to ask. Opt out of the hyper-competitive "supermom" myth, chances are your friends and neighbors feel just as stressed as you. You'll see that the grass is the same color green on the other side when you ask other moms how they find time for themselves without the guilt.
ABOUT THE MOMS WHO DO MORE NATIONAL REPORT
The national survey was conducted online with a random sample of 1035 moms and dads 18+, with children ages 0 to 9; all members of the Impulse Research proprietary online panel.
The Impulse Research proprietary online panel has been carefully selected to closely match US population demographics and the respondents are representative of American moms and dads 18+, with children ages 0 to 9.
Research was conducted in late May, early June 2011.
The overall sampling error rate for this survey is +/-3% at the 95% rate of confidence.
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