Working parents with hectic schedules ‘get only 90 minutes a day to relax,’ new study reveals

Working parents are so busy juggling their lives that they get only 90 minutes a day to themselves, a study has revealed.

Hectic work schedules and the demands of bringing up children mean spare time for parents is at a premium, the research found.

The study of 3,000 working mums and dads shows the average person wakes up at 6.42am and does not manage to get back into bed until 10.45pm.

So tired: Research shows that hectic schedules leave parents exhausted and with only an hour and a half to relax

He or she will spend eight hours and 12 minutes working every day – about seven hours in the office and another hour and a quarter remotely, tapping away on their laptop.

After rising early, the average working parent will spend a total of 55 minutes showering, dressing and eating breakfast.

Another 47 minutes will be dedicated to getting the children ready for their day at school or nursery – washing and dressing them, packing their bags, feeding them breakfast and brushing their teeth.

The commute to work, which will also include nursery and school drop-offs, takes nearly an hour.

Collecting the children from school, nursery, childcare or after-school clubs consumes another 33 minutes a day, and preparing and eating dinner takes 46 minutes.

Parents then get an hour and nine minutes with their children before they go to bed, and the household chores take up another hour and 13 minutes.

That hectic schedule leaves exhausted mums and dads only an hour and a half to relax and unwind.

Time for bed: 26% of people studied claimed they would have a better sex life if they weren't so exhausted (posed by model)

The study by Co-operative Food found working parents crave more time to themselves – with eight out of ten dreaming of an escape from the grind of their daily routine.

Some 64 per cent of those polled felt they spent ‘most of their time’ working.
Almost four in ten would like a bit of time alone to read books, while 34 per cent would relish the opportunity to exercise.

A third of those polled would simply like time to relax and put their feet up in front of the television or enjoy a lie-in in the morning.

Three out of ten would like to go to the pub every so often, while 26 per cent claimed they would have a better sex life if they weren’t so exhausted.

Helen Bridgett, of Co-operative, said: ‘Our survey shows that working parents feel under enormous pressure to succeed both professionally and personally.

‘For many, life has become one big juggling act, and it means people have very little time to pursue their hobbies and interests, let alone give their beloved family members the quality time they deserve.’