Ever feel like your mum work is never-ending? That could be because it basically is, with a new study finding mums work 98 hours a week, on average. That's more than two full-time jobs.
The US study looked at 2000 working mums, with children aged 5 to 12. They found the average work day starts at 6.23am and ends at 8.31pm. And because mums perform so many different tasks as well as working outside the home, they basically work non-stop between those times – and they don't get weekends off.
"The results of the survey highlight just how demanding the role of mum can be and the non-stop barrage of tasks it consists of," Casey Lewis of Welch's, the juice company that commissioned the study, told Yahoo.
The study found 40 per cent of mums feel like their life is a never-ending series of tasks, and that 72 per cent of mums feel pressure in ensuring their kids are eating a healthy diet. As for 'me time', we're only clocking just over an hour of that every day. I'm not sure exactly what constitutes me time in this study, but I'm assuming if you get to shower alone, you've just used up a hefty chunk of yours.
Every other minute of the day is used up looking after somebody else's interests.
And how are mums getting through week after week of these relentless tasks? Life-saving hacks include wine (my personal favourite), grandparents or a reliable babysitter, Netflix (for mums or the kids – either works), wet wipes, drive-through meals, and iPads.
That pretty much sounds like my entire parenting strategy right there.
So if you're feeling exhausted, know there's a good reason. Maybe pour yourself a glass of wine, call the babysitter, grab some takeaway and switch on Netflix.