One in three mothers say the Covid-19 lockdown has driven them to breaking point after facing the ‘pandemic juggle’ of home schooling, remote working and extra childcare.
A survey of around 1,000 women from the UK saw 53 per cent of respondents say they were in ‘dire need’ of self-care.
Two thirds of mothers said they are taking on more than their fair share of the responsibility for childcare since the coronavirus crisis began.
The research from online community Mothersphere, reveals that working from home has left UK mums feeling like they were at breaking point, with only four per cent of mothers saying they felt there had been an equal split of responsibilities in their household.
Tanya Candy, co-founder of Mothersphere said: ‘The statistics showing that a third of mums are at breaking point is worrying.
‘We all know that we can’t pour from an empty cup, but still we are seeing that mothers are placing their own wellbeing at the bottom of the pile, and in some cases, even below that of the family pet.’
Just 12 per cent of mothers put their own needs or mental health first ahead of anyone else in the family, with more women admitting that their needs come last in the household – even after the family pet’s
Around 53 per cent of women surveyed say they are in ‘dire need’ of self-care, and that during lockdown, the combined factors of working from home and home-schooling have forced homelife pressures to its limits, with a third of mothers saying they are at ‘breaking point’.
Just 12 per cent of mothers put their own needs or mental health first ahead of anyone else in the family, with 14 per cent women admitting that their needs come last in the household, even after the family pet.
Two thirds of mothers are feeling the effects of the ‘pandemic juggle’ as they are taking on more than their fair share of the responsibility for childcare since the pandemic began.
Caroline Desmarais (left, with Tanya Candy right), co-founder of Mothersphere said: ‘These survey findings show that mothers really do need more support, especially at this crucial time.
The remaining third split these responsibilities equally with their partner, with no respondents stating that their partner did more than them.
However, those women in a younger age bracket were more likely to have an equal split at home, 43 per cent aged 16-29, when compared with older respondents.
Just under three quarters of 45-49-year-olds were likely to have taken on more than their partner, reflecting a generational shift in gender equality.
Children in England returned to school earlier this month, while a ban on using public transport unless essential is expected to be lifted on March 29.
The relaxation of restrictions should ease some of the pressures women have been feeling since Boris Johnson first declared the Government’s Stay at Home message a year ago.
The women surveyed found it ‘frustrating’ that their household roles had become more traditional since becoming a mother, whilst almost a third (28%) say they are happy with this new more traditional role.
A survey of around 1,000 British mothers found the stress of working for home while caring for their children had driven a third to breaking point, while 53 per cent said they were in ‘dire need’ of self-care
Against this backdrop, communities have become more and more important, with a third of mothers consulting online communities for advice and support on parenting, as well as looking to celebrities for parenting advice.
Mother-in-laws, were the least favoured source of parental advice at only 5 per cent.
Caroline Desmarais, co-founder of Mothersphere said: ‘These survey findings show that mothers really do need more support, especially at this crucial time.
Mothersphere’s founders say they are hopeful mothers can see ‘the importance of prioritising their wellbeing,’ as children begin to return to school and a travel ban is lifted later this month
‘We have witnessed first-hand the positive impact that Mothersphere is having, by offering additional support to mothers.
‘We are hopeful that mothers can now see the importance of prioritising their wellbeing.’
Mothersphere is a global motherhood platform which empowers mothers to prioritise their wellbeing and thrive in all aspects of their lives.
It connects mothers to a social network, experts, organisations, services and events in order to support them throughout their motherhood journey.
