Downtime and the Working Mother
For all of the working mothers out there, we all know that downtime is almost non-existent. And even in the off chance that we have some time off, we likely spend it trying to mulit-task and get other things done. So at the end of the day, we rarely have the time and if we do, it is up to us to actually use the time off to do something for yourself.
It's no secret that parenting is a juggling act, but there is some respite. Nearly two-thirds of the 3,000 working parents polled say they feel like "most of their time" is spent working. On average, the respondents spend eight hours a day working, another hour commuting, and more than two hours getting their kids ready for school, picking them up, and feeding them. Then another hour for playtime and putting the kids to bed -- leaving around 90 minutes "to themselves." Parent bloggers scoffed, saying they only have that much free time in their dreams. Do working mothers and fathers really have an hour and a half of spare time every day?
Parents are lucky if they get a fraction as much free time: Ninety minutes is far too generous unless you count things like feeding the cats or taking out the recycling as 'spare' time. It's particularly unrealistic for parents with toddlers in the house -- for them, there's always something else that needs to be done.
No matter how hard I am working, or what is going on every single day, I try to take at least 30 minutes to enjoy some downtime. Whether that is a bubble bath before bed, enjoying a People magazine, or a cup of coffee in peace in the morning, it is important to make the time for yourself or else it will never happen. On other days, when there is more time, I put my husband in charge of the dinner, shower, homework routine and duck out to get some much needed exercise. Exercise and eating right are both very important and making them a priority is not only helping yourself but also your children. The ultimate goal, after all, is to be healthy enough to see your children grow up and be around for the grandkids.
The bottom line is that unless you scratch something off the to-do list and take the time you need, you'll always feel trapped on the hamster wheel of work, kids, chores, more work, more chores, kids.
It's no secret that parenting is a juggling act, but there is some respite. Nearly two-thirds of the 3,000 working parents polled say they feel like "most of their time" is spent working. On average, the respondents spend eight hours a day working, another hour commuting, and more than two hours getting their kids ready for school, picking them up, and feeding them. Then another hour for playtime and putting the kids to bed -- leaving around 90 minutes "to themselves." Parent bloggers scoffed, saying they only have that much free time in their dreams. Do working mothers and fathers really have an hour and a half of spare time every day?
Parents are lucky if they get a fraction as much free time: Ninety minutes is far too generous unless you count things like feeding the cats or taking out the recycling as 'spare' time. It's particularly unrealistic for parents with toddlers in the house -- for them, there's always something else that needs to be done.
No matter how hard I am working, or what is going on every single day, I try to take at least 30 minutes to enjoy some downtime. Whether that is a bubble bath before bed, enjoying a People magazine, or a cup of coffee in peace in the morning, it is important to make the time for yourself or else it will never happen. On other days, when there is more time, I put my husband in charge of the dinner, shower, homework routine and duck out to get some much needed exercise. Exercise and eating right are both very important and making them a priority is not only helping yourself but also your children. The ultimate goal, after all, is to be healthy enough to see your children grow up and be around for the grandkids.
The bottom line is that unless you scratch something off the to-do list and take the time you need, you'll always feel trapped on the hamster wheel of work, kids, chores, more work, more chores, kids.
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