Virginia based juice company Welch’s – you know, the one that makes the purple grape juice – has found that the average mother spends an exhausting 98 hours per week on parenting duties, which it transpires is the equivalent of working two and a half full-time jobs. The survey of over 2000 mothers from across the U.S, with children aged between five and 12, revealed that, beginning at 6:23, a usual day will contain a break that lasts for one hour and seven minutes – so a little more than a lunchbreak – before finally concluding at 20:31.
The equivalent of working 14 hours per day but doing so every single day of the week, and not just during the week, weekends essentially just do not exist for the average mum.
Fast food, Netflix, iPads, a stash of toys, reliable grandparents that live nearby, plus that winning combo of caffeine and naps whenever possible, were just some of the ‘lifesavers’ called on to ensure that family life runs smoothly. With four in ten of the mums surveyed still finding their never-ending list of tasks to complete to be an uphill struggle, which probably explains why wine was also listed in the top 20 things that mothers can’t do without.
Speaking to Yahoo, Casey Lewis, MS, RD and Health & Nutrition Lead at Welch's said, “The results of the survey highlight just how demanding the role of mom can be and the non-stop barrage of tasks it consists of,” before continuing, “Busy moms may identify with the list of ‘lifesavers’, which highlights not just a rigorous workload but a constant requirement to feed and fuel the family, week in and week out.”
It’s the constant need to fuel the entire family, and for that food to be healthy and nutritious, sitting on top of the non-stop routine, that’s an added pressure for mums, particularly when confronted with a family of picky-eaters.