Moms Only Get 30 Minutes Of 'Me Time' A Day If You're Wondering Why We're So Bitchy
Moms have basically no “me time” according to this survey
Here’s some depressing (and educational!) news to start your day — the average parent only gets 30 minutes of “me time” each day. Pretty sure dads get at least that long just counting their time spent sitting on the toilet, so I’m going to keep it real here and just say moms.
The next time you’re feeling a little snippy for no obvious reason, maybe this enlightening study will provide clues.
A survey conducted by meal delivery service Munchery found that the typical parent has just 32 stupid minutes to themselves each day. 32 minutes out of 24 entire hours. And if a mom is lucky, seven of those minutes are spent in the shower — nine if she shaves the bottom half of her legs. The study also found that some parents are literally hiding from their kids to get a few precious moments of zen, a fact that will surprise absolutely no mom ever.
The survey discovered that 32 percent of parents don’t even stop working until 8pm. I’m fortunate that my job wraps at a very reasonable hour every day, but once that’s over, I have errands, cleaning, cooking, and other adult business to attend to. That’s aside from my “job” as a mom, which includes driving people to practices, games, lessons, and playdates. Helping with homework. Following them around to make sure they shower and brush their teeth.
It’s never-ending, really — which is why this 32 minutes even seems a bit generous. I’d venture that most days, I get maybe half that. The study found that the average parent with a full-time job also spends around 18 hours each week directly taking care of their kids. Add that to 40 hours at work? Not too many hours are left for everything else, including “me time.”
Because if my job or my kids or my husband don’t need me, my dogs do. Or my neighbor wants to chat for a little bit or I have meetings for my kids’ various activities. So many minutes of my day are spoken for before I have a chance to decide how to spend them, which is beyond frustrating.
So I didn’t really need data to tell me that I have basically zero time to myself. Just like most moms, my day starts and ends with doing shit for everyone else but me. I wake up mere minutes before my son and the moment his little feet pad down the hall, I’m up and running. Making waffles, going through take-home folders, starting laundry, checking in for work briefly, trying to drink half a coffee, walking the dogs — the clock starts and doesn’t stop for another 14 hours. It’s no wonder 32 minutes a day is the best we can do.
Do I have a solution? Not really. The battle for alone time has been a struggle for moms since time immemorial. I guess parents hiding from their kids is more than just a funny meme — it’s a survival tactic.
