..to want more "free time" for myself , just myself?

[bosmobi]

I read in an American newspaper recently that women have "at least 30 hours of leisure every week". According to Prof John Robinson of the University of Maryland, who is supposedly widely-known as the father of time-use studies, "women have more leisure now than they did in the 1960s, even though more women are working outside the home." It made me feel deeply depressed - I've been counting and I'm not getting anywhere near my 30 hour quota . In fact, I can't imagine what I would do with 30 hours - it just seems so implausible (and rather frightening, as I might have time for intraspection and other scary things like that). Does anybody out there get anywhere near to 30 hours of free time or is Prof Robinson just plain wrong?

I have a male friend who is on holiday from work this week to, do the childcare while his DW is at work. He is loving it. Has taken DS to play golf, planted a veg bed, been swimming, to the cinema even baked fairy cakes (from a packet ) and has thoroughly enjoyed his "leisure time".

So if you've been at home this week with DCs (apart from when you're doing chores, surely not more than a couple of hours a day?) is that not leisure time?

LOl, rookie. I remember dozing in the dentist's chair once wishing my check up could go on forever.

Yy whatnxt but I bet he's done chuff all around the house and that his dw is now contemplating divorce.

Oh undoubtedly bolter, but my point is, apart from the couple of hours a day we're "doing around the house", most of the rest could be considered leisure (once DCs are out of toddlerhood anyway)

Fecks sake I am very

I had a thread about this not so long ago, wondering how I could get ONE hour a week to myself. I work 4 days, spend 5/6 nights a week on preparation and marking. Have DD (2.5) the other 3 days a week (don't get me wrong, that is the bit I love!).

So that leaves maybe 1/2 nights a week between 8:30 and whenever I go to bed, and as someone else very accurately said, the only way to get a good stretch then is to stay up till silly o'clock, thus knackering the next day. Grrrr.

whatnxt, depends on ease of child and what other things (like housework) have to be prioritised. My dh certainly sees it as leisure time. But if he were in my place the tight ship that I run would sail swiftly off course.

But yes you have a point.

I spend a night at a friend's a few times a month. And every now and then at least once a month I leave DS at daycare to nap and spend the time doing absolutely nothing. I count my afternoon shower as "me time" b/c DS sits plopped in front of a DVD while I take my time. I take a looooonng shower, paint my toenails, use self-tan, and hang out in my sweatpants reading People with a cup of tea. Also when DH gets home from work he takes DS to the playground and I potter around. It's not really "me time" as I'm cleaning up the house, etc, but I do like being alone for just a little while.

given a fair few mn,people aren't surely as time poor as they crack on!

even if children not in bed til 8pm,mn til 10.30 = 17.5hr already and weekend stuff easily constitutes additional leisure time up to 30

I agree it depends on definition of me time. This morning for example I had a bath and read for 30 minutes while ds watched tv, sat and had a coffee while ds read me a story then went to lunch with ds and family for nans birthday. spent 2 hrs in garden while ds played with friend and i chatted to mum/ did crossword. Had tea spent hr with ds on education city then he went to bed. Tidied and been mn for hr or so.

OH ive had my 30 hrs today

oh there was a point to that list that some may consider the 1/2 hr bath with book me time only and the rest not so but tbh I've chillaxed big time today.

given volume of mn not all of you are hard at it during day.many seem to eke out a few posts whilst nose to grindstone

sahm isnt work, and if kids are at school is hardly hard pressed

so yep if your not working/studying/caring you have leisure time.kids at school 9-3 not working=easy street

i await harrumphing as people protest but i do so much when kids at school

ummm mn, kyle, wright stuff,diagnosis murder

I suppose leisure time could include sitting in front of the TV when the children are in bed... in which case it's possible for a lot of women to get at least 2 hours.

tv/mn/dvd/internet all = leisure time

Agree with SM. Will freely admit my life is a doss on my two days off - will be even more so when dd2 starts school in Sept, will be off to buy some tennis whites.

I definitely count TV time as leisure time, what else would it be?!

I do TV/MN as an aside between piles of work at night - so don't class it as decent me time as still working - just the same I suppose at people who flick back and forth to MN at work (if only!).

People seem to think I will go back to 5 days work instead of 4 when DD and any possible future DCs are at school - eeerrrrr NAAWWWWWW

I will have pre-ordered my tennis whites in anticipation

as people, woops

See, I am trying to do 2 things at once here and failing

When baby is in bed and all the chores are done I finally sit down to read my book and I fall asleep! I wake up the next morning and the whole routine starts the same again I am going mad! Boyfriend sits on his ass a lot which drives me bonkers. He produces a large ammount of washing and dirty dishes. Sometimes its like having 2 babies!

Scottishmummy - "sahm isn't work." Really? It honestly feels that way to me (with three preschoolers incl a baby). I am shattered at the end of the day. And the beginning of the day actually [sleep deprived]. I certainly feel like I've been slogging away much harder than when I had a job.

lowlibido - SM points out that once all the children are at school being a SAHM is easy.

so are we all in agreement that life gets easier once your youngest is, say, 3?
at the moment i m getting about half an hours "me" time between DCs finally setting and going to bed. Up around 5.

Hmmmm, I think technically that I get about 14-20 hours a week but this is the time in the evenings between DD (2.9) going to sleep (probably not until 8pm as is her habit) and me going to bed. In this time, I usually have some dinner (if I haven't eaten with DD); empty/refill dishwasher; tidy up and then watch a bit of tv or do any OU work that I can face. I work full time and am single parent, btw.

I would love to find the energy to fill those two/three hours with something worthwhile but vegging in front of the tv with MN on my lap is all that I can manage.

I'm just bloody tired...

dishwasher and tidying is not me time!

Easily had over 30 hours pw when on ML - I ran the home like a bootcamp and got up at 6 to make sure that by 10am, I had everything done. Did one activity a day with DD (eg baby swimming), leaving me at least 4 hours a day free for my own stuff. Once back at work, I was lucky to get 1 hour a day.

Yes I get 8-11pm daily to myself (even if am trapped in house it's still leisure time) as I only do housework before work or before DS goes to bed, or weekends in nap time. I have a night out per week when I'm out late so have 8-2am to myself. It probably averages 30hrs per week.

I also get lunch breaks at work and plenty of time at the weekends when DS is pottering to have a cuppa/read the paper etc. I must have a very easy DS.