Mum zone vs Men cave – mums fight back, reveals survey

Mum Zone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A survey of more than  13,000 Australians  has revealed that the majority of mums (over 70 per cent) are crying out for their own space in the home to unwind but are too busy, with  87 per cent  saying that looking after the demands of a hectic household prevents them from finding any down time.   Meanwhile, their partners are chilling out in their man-cave  avoiding the housework.

“Every year we run a survey to find out what trends are taking place in Australian households.   This year, we asked what mums want and we had an unprecedented number of 13,000 people respond (which suggests that the subject matter is dear to many women’s hearts).   An overwhelming majority said they want their own ”˜mummy zone’ to chill out in and have some much needed me-time,” said Ms Debra Singh, CEO, Fantastic Furniture.

The survey revealed that whilst most mums have nowhere to call ”˜their zone’,  25 per cent  of their partners have carved out their  man cave.

“The man cave has become a commonly accepted concept and yet, as our survey shows, there is no female equivalent.   It is accepted that men need time out to retreat from a hectic family life, yet there is no where for mum to go when she needs to chill out alone,” said Ms Singh.

Almost half of respondents said ”˜finding time for myself’ and ”˜tiredness’ were the biggest challenge of being a mum.

When mums do get time out for themselves, more than half  (54 per cent)  said they would much rather  stay home alone  and relax than go out partying.   And asked how they feel when their partner goes out, the majority  (60 per cent)  said they love it because they get to enjoy  ”˜me time!’

Watching TV  or a movie tops the list of favourite  ”˜mummy me time’ activities  (38 per cent), closely followed by curling up with a good book  (15 per cent)  and catching up on sleep  (12 per cent).    Yet many  (27 per cent)actually end up catching up on  housework and jobs  that have built up when their partner goes out.

Even though the majority of women surveyed are employed outside the home, almost half said their partner doesn’t do their fair share of the housework.    Snoring  tops the list of most annoying male habits  (32.55 per cent), followed by ”˜not cleaning up after himself’  (25 per cent)  and  ”˜breaking wind and burping loudly’ (15.54 per cent).

When asked how they would most like to spend Mother’s Day, more than half  (58 per cent)  would like to have some  time to themselves  and some time with their family, which is considered ”˜the best of both worlds’.   The reality is that for most mums  (39 per cent), Mother’s Day is spent doing ”˜nothing special’  with cooking and cleaning on the agenda as usual.   Just  4 per cent will have a special meal  cooked for them by their partner and  10 per cent  will be treated to a  meal out.

“It seems that Aussie dads need to make a bit more effort this mother’s day and give mum what she wants ”“ some down time, family time and perhaps even her own ”˜mummy zone’ in the home,” said Ms Singh.

And if you want to know what a ”˜mum zone’ would look like, more than half of the women surveyed  (57 per cent)  said ”˜gorgeous furniture and coordinated accessories in all my favourite colours’ tops the list of essential ”˜mum zone’ items, closely followed by  ”˜a big comfy bed’  (31 per cent ”“ to catch up on much-needed sleep)  ”˜my music’  (25 per cent) and  fresh flowers (15 per cent).

“Clearly women are looking for a little bit more refinery than men in their mum zone, with comfort, relaxation and beautiful homewares replacing pool tables, dart boards and bar fridges,” laughed Ms Singh.

Interestingly, the majority of mums surveyed  (70 per cent),  said they share the same interior design style/furniture preference as their partner.   Yet some said their partners tend to hang onto some tired old furniture items that need to go.

More than half  (62 per cent),  said their busy lives meant it was hard to spend time together as a family but that ”˜talking around the dinner table at meal times’  was the best way to enjoy family time.

“It’s great to see that in spite of the pressures of modern living, many families are taking the time out to enjoy good conversation and connections around the dinner table just as many generations have before us,” said Ms Singh.

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