A parent's life neatly sums up the word "busy". Make that "chaotic". So it's no surprise parents do grumble about insufficient 'me time'. This is especially true for mums. But it turns out that men are sneakily finding a way to get that much-needed me-time... by hiding away in the bathroom!
Men rack up seven hours in the bathroom for silence
A new study shows that men do manage to find time for themselves. They rack up seven hours of time spent in bathroom in a year for some peace and quiet!
Apparently, the study discovered that men accumulate time spent in bathroom to a grand total of seven hours within the year. The reason? For some silent 'me time'.
After uploading a poll surveying 1,000 men, researchers learned that men tuck themselves away in the bathroom for a few reasons that are not only about waste elimination.
Mainly, the men who confessed to doing this wanted to:
- run away partners who constantly nag them
- stay away from house chores or noisy kids
- have an opportunity to use their cell phones in peace
Men's perspective on time spent in bathroom
The study, commissioned by Pebble Grey, a bathroom expert, discovered that the bathroom may not be a safe haven after all. Apparently, in general, one among 10 bathroom visits would be interrupted. That racks up to a whopping 171 interruptions throughout a year!
A spokesman for Pebble Grey remarked, "We all need a little bit of time to ourselves - to take stock or switch off completely."
He admits that the restroom is the first place that comes to mind for 'me time', saying that "it's very much a sanctuary, somewhere we can cut ourselves off from the outside world" - even if only for a few hours.
The results speak clearly for themselves: men do value silence and would "take the opportunity to get this where they can - often in the bathroom."
Time spent in bathroom is interrupted...
In addition, the study also revealed that the interruptions in the bathroom happen mostly due to the men's partners. Their kids came in second.
Among the men in the study, 45% claimed that they hardly ever have any 'me time'. Among these men, a quarter of them stated that their spouse isn't understanding of how hectic their lives really are.
Another 25 percent of men shared that without these occasional bathroom escapes, they wouldn't "know how they'd cope", with 23 percent admitting that their restroom was their personal 'safe place'.
Tips for hubbies for more 'me time'
Dads, hubbies, we now know your secret. But there's one person in your life who misses out on even more "me-time" than you. That's right. It's your wife, the beautiful mother of your children.
So, instead of locking yourselves up in the bathroom for peace and quiet, why not discuss with your wife about a plan which lets both of you get some precious time off.
Let us help you get started.
Your first task is to share household duties between one another. By sharing the burden of work, hubbies wouldn't risk getting nagged about it, which means they don't need to escape to the loo to escape these "reminders". Also, the chores get completed faster, meaning more free time.
Here are some more ideas for hubbies to try:
- help with a few chores at home, like mopping or vacuuming the floor. Set up a roster, or just use your initiative to do so.
- have fun with the kids in the weekend - whether in the park or the pool. That way, mum can relax a bit. Once your kids get tired and tucked to bed early, both mum and dad can get their 'me time'.
- bring the kids to their after-school classes and wait to pick them up. During the time you are waiting for them to finish, dads, you can have some "me time"!
Remember mums, it's also essential that you take some 'me time', too. Read on to find out why:
Why 'Me Time' is as important as Family Time...
Why "me time" for mums is good for the family
Source: Independent