A whopping nine in ten parents (92%) struggle to find enough “me time” for themselves – with nearly two-thirds resorting to hiding in a bathroom to steal a couple of moments of peace.
A poll of 1,000 frazzled mums and dads found that more than a third (38%) have sat on the toilet to scroll through their phone – but three in ten (29%) feel they can’t even take refuge in the bathroom without being followed by their kids.
One in three (32%) have sought some alone time by pretending to be loading the washing machine, or doing some housework upstairs (29%).
And 30% have hidden their head in a cupboard to scoff a snack without having it snatched out of their hand – while more than half (53%) have gone through a whole day without managing to eat at all.
It also emerged one in four (24%) consider any chance they do get to simply sit in silence as quality “me time”, while 26% even view sleeping as a treat.
And one in six (16%) reckon simply eating breakfast is a blissful moment.
(Image: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek/Getty Images)
A spokesman for Energizer, which commissioned the research, said: “Parents certainly have a lot on their hands, with endless “to do” lists that never seem to include any “me time”.
“This is clearly leading to frazzled mums and dads desperately seeking a slice of serenity in any way they possibly can, including taking refuge in the bathroom.
“In today’s ever busy world, we’re urging parents to take just 15 minutes each day to re-charge their batteries.”
The study also found more than three-quarters (78%) feel juggling a job and parenthood takes its toll, while 56% are exhausted in their efforts to fill the weekends with activities.
But parents will forgo five “me time” moments a week for the good of the kids – and a third admit they also find it hard to do anything fun with their partner due to their relentless life commitments.
And 32% don’t feel like they can because of the constant chores.
Nearly half (48%) don’t have any regular help from family members to look after the children – leaving 53% “forgetting” to eat during an entire day.
And weary parents, polled via OnePoll, also average just five hours of sleep a night – with 40% left feeling low on energy daily, or even multiple times a day, requiring as many as three pick-me-ups.
The spokesman for Energizer added: “We strongly recommend stocking up on batteries, especially ahead of Christmas, to avoid parents feeling overwhelmed by frantically trying to power up toys and gadgets to keep their kids entertained.”
TOP 20 THINGS PARENTS CONSIDER “ME TIME”:
- Watching TV
- Reading a book
- Going for a walk
- Sleeping
- Sitting in silence
- Having a relaxing bath
- Catching up with a friend without the kids
- Doing some exercise
- Having a glass of wine or beer
- Having a treat meal
- Doing some gardening
- Baking
- A spa treatment
- Playing sport
- Going for a run
- Eating breakfast uninterrupted
- Going for a drive on your own
- Having a haircut
- Going to an exercise class
- Drying my hair in peace