90% of mums don’t get enough ‘quality time’ with children
Seven out of ten mums reckon they ‘never get a day off’, new research has shown. A study found most mums endure hectic weekdays, combining everything the children need with the task of running a house and keeping family life shipshape.
And that’s all accomplished alongside 31 hours of chores every week.
Weekends are no different, with mums racking up over eight solid hours of chores to keep the household ticking over.
The study also found many mums admit dads are either too busy, or too tired, to take-over on a weekend and give them a break meaning they never get a day to themselves.
The research, carried out among 2,000 mums, which was commissioned by Direct Line to launch their new rewards programme, Let’s Go, also found the average British family manages just six days out all together as a family each year.
Furthermore it also emerged mum is the head of the modern household, and are six times more likely than dad to be the one organising the family for days out and holidays.
Kerry Chilvers, brands director at Direct Line said: “Mums are the engine of the family and are heavily relied upon to keep home life as it should be.
”However, as this research shows, so many feel they never really get a proper day off. It’s important to be able to switch off and escape those hectic daily routines
“Running a family is a non-stop job and both parents work very hard, but it’s important to make time to stop and just enjoy time with our families too.”
The study found that of the 31 hours the average mum spends doing chores every week, eight hours is washing and cooking, four hours is dedicated to cleaning and two hours of ironing.
While dad tries to be on hand to help, two thirds of mums said their partner is often too exhausted after working all day.
A busy nine in ten mums felt they don’t get enough time to spend proper quality time with their children.
From the stress of getting the kids to school, right to the point of getting them to bed in the evening, four in five said they spend more time cleaning up after their children than actually being able to play with them.
Even on special days like their birthday or Mother’s Day, 70% of Britain’s mums said they still end up doing work in order to keep the household running smoothly.
The cost of paying for days out, the stress of managing everyone and the kids getting bored quickly leaves seven in ten mums often dreading the prospect of trying to keep the kids entertained in the school holidays.
In fact, half of mums have even cancelled or avoided a day out in the past because the costs mounted.
When asked to rate the perfect ingredients for a family day out, mums just wanted good weather, value for money and the kids to be in a good mood.
UK mums voted huge expenses and unruly kids as the factors most likely to ruin a day out.
Kerry Chilvers added: “Our day to day routines seem to get busier and busier and it’s easy to get swamped and with that it’s easy to let the balance between work and play slip.
“When it comes to family, a day out together can help break from the normal routine and ensure mum gets that well- earned rest.”
Mum’s wishes for a day out
1. Good Weather
2. Value for Money
3. Kids in a good mood
4. Somewhere to eat
5. Varied entertainment
6. Help with the kids
7. Someone else driving
8. Easy to organize
9. Anything that tires out the kids
10. iPad/ Portable TV to entertain kids on the journey
