SAHM leisure time
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=35542
Printed Date: 27 July 2025 at 11:47am
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Topic: SAHM leisure time
Posted By: fairy1
Subject: SAHM leisure time
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 2:10pm
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Im watching the Dr Phil show and he's talking about a research article that came out saying that SAHM's have 30-40 hrs leisure time a week.
Now I was quite surprised to hear this because I thought SAHM's would have less. So for those of us who are SAHM's what do you think of this research? Agree or diagree and why. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 2:23pm
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Haven't read the research but 30-40hrs a week leisure time would be fantastic. I certainly don't get that! Maybe if it were a SAHM who has all kids at school you could perhaps get that.
Daniel goes to daycare 3 times a week instead of kindy and I use that time to do housework, workout and then maybe have a bit of rest time after I do each little thing as I'm getting tired being preg |
Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 2:24pm
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I guess it probably depends what their definition of "leisure" time is..... I didn't see the program, I wonder if the research is online anywhere?
I also read an article today that women with newborns actually do get on average 7 hours sleep and apparently that should be enough. Not that I've been there yet but I'm thinking it isn't 7 hours of solid or quality sleep so that is probably a flaw in their argument. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Peanut
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 2:28pm
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The research actually stated that leisure time included things like - having a root canal, waiting for a two truck, typing with 2 hands etc. So its actually a crappy research paper and a total crock! -------------  
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Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 2:47pm
I have full time live in help and I don't think I have 30-40 hours leisure time a week  Unless it is time spent with Callum. Which, while it is fun a lot of the time is still my "job" really.
A root canal is a leisure activity?!?! Crazy people. ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 2:49pm
clover - when I had newborn babies .. it felt fantastic to get two hours sleep little own seven. 
Three hours in a row was bliss .. I could take on the world!  ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 2:52pm
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That was what I thought, I bet the "research" was done by a male, probably a childless one.... ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: fairy1
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 2:59pm
Im pretty sure medically they said 8-9hrs is best so I dont know how this is quality sleep, especially sicne its broken and I think the 8-9 is suppose to be continous.
Yeah, I defiantely think the research article is total crock but I wondered what other people thought regarding leisure time. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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clover wrote:Posted By: MyLilSquishy
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 3:03pm
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*sigh* leisure time!
maybe i should go get a root canal. |
Posted By: yermasyada
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 3:13pm
Root canal = leisure time LMAO 
All depends how you define your own leisure time and everyone will do this differently. I'm lucky to have a wee boy who sleeps through (6.30-7.30) and I go to bed at around 9.30, so I guess that's 21hrs of leisure time just there. Of course I have to make the dinner, tidy up etc during the time also, so do I deduct say 1hr for that? hummmm I catch several moments in the day, where I check my mails etc (although I tend to do most of that while I have the boy on my boob) so I guess all these times add up. Plus at the weekends I don't do housework (just stuff that *has* to be done) so I guess that's mostly relaxing leisure time as a family. To summarise, I probably have more leisure time than I think.... maybe 30hrs ??? |
Posted By: luvmylittlies
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 4:11pm
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Yeah it depends what you're counting. My gal goes to bed at 7 and I go to bed at 10:30 but in that time I do a quick tidy up of the house, put washing away, express, clean up from dinner. During her sleeps during the day I do sit around a bit but no longer than if I was at morning tea or lunch at work. Also do you count leisure activities with the child? Hmm, but if I do add it up it probably is around 30 hours. But that's if I include stuff I do with DD and I've only got one child who is not even crawling yet. ------------- Adoring Mum to Talisin 8/9/11 and Kiara 18/01/10 |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 4:31pm
I remember hearing it was 'very tiring' but wondered why people said that because I would get 2 hour stretches and I felt on top of the world! As for the actual topic of leisure time, that seems like a lot... I wonder what time they get up and what time they go to bed? I know I get maybe... Hmmm 3 hours in the evening when DD goes to bed and 4 hours over the day so ... That's 49 hours a week when you think about it... ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Delli
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 4:59pm
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I'd say thats about accurate for me with one 1 year old. But then, I'm super lazy and as I've said before - don't give a crap about housework. I'm expecting that time to decrease with the new baby.
Still less than if I had no children and was working full time though. I'd probably add on another 20 hours at least to that (Because whole weekends used to be free!  )------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: TheKelly
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 5:35pm
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'
]haha !!! yes , I remember when I worked at the dentist , I would often say to the women patients "and are you here for a bit of leisure time ? " *wink wink * haha right! ------------- 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 5:40pm
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leisure time? whats that?? lol
I have been lazy of late, but usually Im doing stuff round the house, cleaning and all that guff, Id hardly call that leisure time. I sure as hell dont get 30-40 hours of it! ------------- |
Posted By: 4thtymlucky
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 6:56pm
Depends what you count as leisure time I guess? When I was on leave with bubs I don't think there was any "leisure" time...SAHM's have fulltime jobs so there is no leisure time unless someone else has the wee one's but then we tend to do housework catch up rather than chill out and relax with a good book. Blessings to all our SAHMs
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Posted By: monikah
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 8:36pm
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my boys both go to bed around 7 and i go to bed about 12-1 so i guess thats 40 hours a week there not including the odd occasion they both nap at the same time. i go out a lot after they go to bed and hang with friends while DH plays computer games at home. it doesnt take into account things like cleaning, home made baby food, 2 kids in clothe nappies, i go to uni and study really hard at night. keep the house clean etc... if its child free time 40hrs a week that one thing, but leisure time i think not ------------- 
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Posted By: Delli
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 9:12pm
At first I thought 30-40 hours was way too high. But then I started to add up the individual hours/minutes and it actually works out about right. I do quite a bit of the housework while Jude is up - he "helps" me  . Today for my leisure time, I washed my horse for an hour and a bit while Jude slept. Played on the comp for around an hour before doing tea while Jude played on the floor. Tonight I get less leisure time (watching TV/ computer time/ working on hobbies) than usual as DP went to bed early and Jude decided to stay up 'til 8.30pm instead of going to bed around 7pm like he usually does. But I'd usually get around 2-3 hours. So, I'd say I average around four-five hours leisure time a day. 28-35hours per week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I also count showers to myself as leisure time (and always have even when I didn't have a baby) - I take long showers
Jude did go through a stage of not wanting to play by himself at all so that meant less leisure time (I play with him heaps now but I think it's great that he can play by himself every now and again). And I'm betting it's much harder with two plus children who don't synchronize their naps. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 9:22pm
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To be fair I didn't have a root canal but I had several dental appointments when DS was newborn and it did feel like a break at the time. -------------  
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Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 9:49pm
| It depends how you use your time - when I was a SAHM I always did my housework during the day, so nights (7-10.30) were mine. That's 17.5 hours there, plus any naps they had, and then probably half of the weekend (going by sharing duties). So I would say it's fair. I count being with the kids as leisure time during the weekend, as long as you're not scrubbing nappies etc. |
Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 10:42pm
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I consider sleep leisure time so that clocks me up! ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 11:13pm
LOL sleep when I'm not pregnant is a leisure activity to me as well so perhaps I do get more hours than I think 
I think baby-free time is definitely close to 40 hrs/week for me but that's not all leisure time. Nap times are the only times I get to pay the bills, sort out our finances and other house stuff (including house back in NZ), do grocery shopping and prepare food etc etc etc. So no housework and yes I can get out without Callum but I don't consider those things leisure activities! Hanging out on here, reading a book for pleasure, playing sport or having a coffee with a friend or a date with DH - THAT is leisure time to me ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: Richie
Date Posted: 01 September 2010 at 11:29pm
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Yea I'd say I'd probably get close to that. I do most things (including housework) at a fairly 'leisurely rate' so nothing ever really feels like a task.
Isla goes down at 9pm and I go to bed at 11pm so that's 14hrs of 'me' time where I literally do nothingbut cross stitch, watch tele or browse the net. Then there's her naps during the day. Even if it's only 1hr at a time, twice a day, that is still another 14hrs so getting close to 30hrs in total. And that is a minimum. And like AandCsMum said, I count sleep as leisure time! And I get 10hrs a nice so certainly can't complain! -------------  
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Posted By: deodora
Date Posted: 02 September 2010 at 12:15am
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Did they have any comments about mothers who work? I can't imagine that they get much if any during the week. I have a very 'full on' job with little if any down time during an average day. Because I finish at 4.00 so I can collect the baby I don't take lunch breaks. The few hours in the evening 'free' after he goes to bed disappear in a flurry of washing, dishes, cooking , cleaning, bill paying etc and usually a bit more work. All these things plus groceries etc also take up big chunks of the weekend. .
IWhen you are working and away from your child for most of the day it seems very unfair on him to not spend every chance you can with him in the evenings and weekends. |
Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 02 September 2010 at 6:52am
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well Deodora - I guess if the research considered having a root canal as leisure time, work may fall into the same category LOL...
I think the main flaw with the research was in definition. I suspect if they had examined quality or usuable leisure time the results would have been quite different... ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 02 September 2010 at 3:50pm
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I get that much leisure time but do have a preschooler with me for most of it. We for go walks, out of coffee/fluffy, visit the playground, read lots of books, play on the floor with trains, blocks etc and if I'm really lucky I get to surf the net or read a book while he plays. It just depends on whether you consider hanging out with young kids leisure time or not. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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