Looking for Moms with Leisure Time

[Anonymous]

I like to drive by myself. It is my leisure time. Two and a half hours at a very crowded Chuck E Cheese are not at all leisurely.

I don't think I get 30 hours, even including the free hour I get at work everyday. I lounge on Saturday mornings, I get up early so I can have an hour to drink my coffee and surf in the morning.

[Anonymous]

I have 1 child and probably get 30 hrs or more. I work full time, but I spend from 8-11pm leisurely (after DD is in bed). That's 21 hours right there. Then I exercise about 4 hours per week during my lunch breaks. That's 25 hours. I am certain I have 5 hours of free time on weekends. So, I definitely get at least 30. I am a single-mom, and my DD is 7 yrs old, so it is possible.

[Anonymous]

30 hours per week? No way. Our son is up by 6:45. If I'm awake before I'm getting bottles and other things ready for daycare. We leave at 7:30 for daycare and then I head to work. I'm at work until at least 5:30 (and some nights, like tonight, I didn't leave until 10) and then I pick up our son from daycare and come home. Then it's play time and bed time. Grab a quick bite to eat and then work again -- housework, office work, etc and then bed. Everyone once in awhile I read a magazine for 30 mins before falling asleep. I've given up trying to find time for exercise. I'm not unhappy -- love my job, adore my family. But there is no way that I have 30 hours of "me" time each week. In fact, I would say that one of the biggest struggles of being a new parent is trying to find a way to carve out anytime that is truly your own.

[Anonymous]

As I said if it works for us so be it. My children can do house work along with me. I work nights 10pm-6am so therefore the days are my free hours

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are in school from 8-2. From 8:30-1:30 I do what ever I need/want to do, mostly watch TV or sleep. I do not do any housework, cooking, laundry until after I have picked them up from school. I go to bed around 11pm, they're asleep by 8:30, so I also have about 2 1/2-3 hours at night to myself as well.

Are you for real? You sound super lazy.

Why would you do chores after your kids get home? Isn't the purpose of being at home when they are in school to spend time with the kids in school work and kid related activities? Not avoiding them by putting off housework until after they get home?

You really just fed a major negative stereotype.

And you sound super lazy. Are you jelous? If it works for my family and DH is'nt complaining what difference does it makes?

Not pp, but to me you sound selfish. It's hard to understand why you wouldn't spend at least some of your free time doing chores so you could have more time one-on-one with your DC. Unless you have help with household chores/errands it would seem that most of your afternoon/evening would be doing chores and therefore not being available for your DC.

[bschulte]

Thank you everybody - this has been a fascinating discussion. On the question of how to define leisure - one poster was correct, the sociologists who do time studies tend to break it down this way:
Adult Education
Religion
Other Organizations
Cultural Events
Socializaing
Home Communication
Recreation/Sports/Outdoors
Hobbies
TV
Reading
Radio/Recording

The point I was trying to make - is that some of these activites often don't FEEL very leisurely - especially if you've got your kids in town or your mind is racing, thinking, worrying, planning something else. For example, when the sociologist reviewed my time diary, he marked the two hours I sat in a median strip waiting for a tow truck playing tic tac toe with my daughter as leisure. Now, no doubt my daughter and I made the best of a bad situation - but I would hardly call that leisure. Free, uncommitted time, yes. Leisure, the "pause that refreshes" no. So my point was, sometimes these studies and these categories don't capture the complexities of life, or how it feels as you live it.

For those moms who DO work and have leisure - I'd like to hear from you. Can you please email me at [e-mail], or give me a shout 703 518 3029. Thanks!!

[bschulte]

I meant kids in tow! I'm assuming they're all in town!