Over half of mums (51%) said the greatest gift they could receive this Mother's Day – is quality time with their family.
One in six (16%) are keen to make new, precious memories with their little ones on March 19th – as a quarter admit they don't usually have enough spare time to enjoy with their youngsters.
Nearly half (46%) feel there simply aren't enough hours in the day, with 58% wishing they had more free time in general – and one in five wish they had double the amount of free time they currently do.
The biggest thing that stands in the way of quality family time is household chores, according to 58% of the 2,000 mums polled.
An average of one hour and 16 minutes a week is spent tidying the house, while an additional 53 minutes a week is spent cleaning the bathroom alone, and 56 minutes on the kitchen.
Furthermore, mums spend a weekly total of 37 minutes and 39 minutes, respectively, folding clean clothes, and then putting them away.
Consequently, four in ten enjoy an hour or less of time to themselves each evening.
But Moonpig, which commissioned the research, has teamed up with LEGO to create the “Time Tokens for Mum” booklet, available with any LEGO products purchased from the card retailer.
The tokens feature a series of blank vouchers for partners and kids to fill out, giving mums free time to enjoy however they want.
Erica Tain, senior gifts buyer at Moonpig, said: “With everything they do for us, it's important that the mother figures in our lives feel special on Mother’s Day.
“So, if they just want some quality time with family, or simply time away from their busy schedules – let's give them exactly that.
“The “Time Tokens for Mum” booklet is a playful way to give them some moments of their own, and enjoy the day their way.”
The study, carried out via OnePoll, also found that even when mums do spend time with their children during the week, 54 minutes of this is spent helping them with their homework, while an hour is dedicated to taxiing them around to various places.
And even those who share the load with a partner admit they still find themselves with too much to do (73%) – with 32% wishing they could have time out for themselves and drop everything to enjoy some time off.
Although 82% said tag-teaming is the key to managing life admin, holding down a job, and parenting all at the same time.
Some of the top things mums would like to do in peace include doing a much-loved hobby (25%), practicing mindfulness (11%), and even going to the toilet (10%).
Other simple pleasures they would like to do uninterrupted include reading a book (42%), watching TV (44%), or doing a hobby or creative activity (30%).
And when it comes to spending time with their little ones, the things they enjoy most include watching movies (50%), cooking (37%), and playing games (34%).
And 17% said building LEGO sets was one of their favourite activities to do together.
Zach Leung, brand manager of the LEGO group, said: “With busy schedules and a constant to-do list, we understand it can be difficult for mums to find the time to reset and recharge their batteries.
“We hope the new booklet we’ve launched in partnership with Moonpig will be a great way to help parents do exactly that this Mother’s Day.”
AMOUNT OF TIME MUMS SPEND DOING THINGS EACH WEEK:
- Playing with their children – 77 minutes
- Tidying the house – 76 minutes
- Getting their children ready for the day – 66 minutes
- Taxiing their children to different places – 60 minutes
- Cleaning the kitchen – 56 minutes
- Helping their children with homework – 54 minutes
- Cleaning the bathroom – 53 minutes
- Loading/unloading the dishwasher – 45 minutes
- Putting away clean clothes – 39 minutes
- Folding clean clothes – 37 minutes
TOP 10 WAYS MUMS WOULD SPEND THEIR FREE TIME:
- Watching TV – 44%
- Reading a book – 42%
- Going for a walk – 32%
- Listening to music – 29%
- Doing exercise – 27%
- Pampering themselves – 26%
- Doing a hobby – 25%
- Taking a nap – 22%
- Having a bath in peace – 22%
- Going shopping – 20%
