When did the idea develop that everybody is entitled to 'me-time'?

[emkana]

I'm just wondering. I can't ask my grandmother because unfortunately she died a few years ago, but I'm sure that she would have been flabberghasted at the idea of being entitled to some time to herself for pampering/shopping/whatever.
She had four children, brought them up during the war with little or no money, husband was away as a soldier and then as a prisoner of war... illnesses, everything still largely done by hand...

but sixty years down the line we regard some me-time as a human right really, don't we?
How/when did it come to that?

my parents had "me time" by encouraging the following as normal:

• Me and my sis walked to and from school independently from the age of 5
• We spent all non-school days playing with friends
• We were in bed early for many, many years (although we were allowed occasionally to "stay up" to watch Top of the Pops - a real treat back then!)
• Helping with cooking (peeling spuds) and general chores (washing up, hoovering)every school day
• Taking us to the ice ring every Saturday morning

Life has moved on and society has changed, ie: Allowing your child to play with their friends freely and openly outside would be considered too dangerous and tantamount to child abuse, ditto walking independently to school. And would regular chores now be considered child expolitation????!!!

As other posters have said, I think middle-class people always had "me time" only they didn't call it as such and it wasn't as formalised - and blushoes I agree that it's been created by the media to an extent.

Here's how it worked when I was growing up (1970s) - my mother was a SAHM and in the day she was "our" property as I think she regarded parenting as her 9-5 job. However I went to bed at 7.30 until quite old and I remember coming down in the evenings because I was bored and couldn't sleep and being told very firmly that Mummy and Daddy were having grown-up time now and that I had to go back to bed whether or not I was sleepy. I used to lie on the upstairs landing and listen to them talking and just drift off to sleep on the carpet!

My DS is only 6 months so still firmly convinced that all my time is his time, but I hope to get some of it back one day!

at 'My Naughty Little Sister" quote.

I think the parents of children on Cbeebies must be having an awful lot of 'me time' as they never seem to be around much. Postman Pat's son seems to be able to amuse himself wandering around Greendale with his mates much of the time and Charlie and Lola - need I say more?

I think "me time" was invented at around about the same time that the scented candle industry took off.

Blimey, what's wrong with having a bit of 'me'time?

We're all different.

Who said anything about it being wrong???

Well, fair dos emkana, I was in a bit of a strop on when I wrote that last post.

Perhaps the phrase 'me-time' is inappropriate. I don't think it's unreasonable that we mums get time to ourselves away from our children, now and then.

dw & I know a couple where the wife instructs the husband to get up an hour before her every day to have an hour with the kids, so that she can have an hour's "me-time". I have no idea what she does in it. The rationale behind this is that - wait for it - he "gets a lunch hour" at work and she does not.

Lunch hour, FGS. Has she never heard of sticking the kids in front of CBeebies for an hour??

Because of course, all men get a "lunch hour" every day at work. We down tools the second the hooter sounds, and troop off to the pub to quaff ale, eat hearty sandwiches and talk football until we are called back to the rockface.

The ironic thing is that her two are now both at school, so she has the whole flipping day from 9 till 3 to amuse herself anyway.