How has your family day-to-day life changed during lockdown compared to these mums?
A recent survey by FanFinders shows the changing lives and perspectives of mums on both sides of the Atlantic during the coronavirus pandemic.
The data, collected from over 7,000 mums in Your Baby Club UK and Your Baby Club US networks, reveals the unique challenges mums have faced during this period and what they’re most looking forward to as lockdown restrictions begin to ease.
Notable findings include:
• Over half of mums in both countries have been playing games as a family to keep their kids entertained
• Online resources (learning games, quizzes, tests, videos) have been the method of choice for mums to replicate school days at home
• Socialising with family, shopping and travel top the list of most anticipated post-lockdown activities
“It’s been like prison for kids”
Daily life has been tricky for all members of the household. For mums in the US, the reason the current period has been most different from school holidays is ‘the difficulty of balancing work and spending time together.’
Not to mention the ‘heightened safety measures’ and with kids around more through the day, ‘more cleaning, more cooking and more stress’.
In the UK, the top challenges for mums have included ‘trying to explain the coronavirus situation and rules’ to their youngsters, along with obstacles like ‘kids not being able to play with their friends’ and ‘finding new ways to keep them entertained 24/7’.
Are you not entertained?
The tricky task of keeping little ones occupied is a recurring theme and mums in both countries have been using all of the traditional and digital methods at their disposal.
Over 50 per cent of mums in the UK and over 65 per cent in the US have been playing games as family.
Streaming through the likes of Netflix and YouTube has also been popular with 54 per cent of US mums and 33 per cent of UK mums.
Given the contrasting rules on daily exercise, 66 per cent of US mums have been able to go out for walks/strolls every day or every other day to get fresh air during the lockdown, while less than half of UK mums have done the same.
After their baby’s health, ‘Lack of socialisation with family members outside the household’ has been UK mums’ biggest concern over the past few months. In contrast, ‘getting hold of baby essentials’ and ‘getting help and support’ have been the biggest sources of stress in the US.
While over 75 per cent of mums in both countries think online connections are an important source of reassurance during motherhood, there is a clear divide in how they’re using platforms.
Mums in the US cited personalised app experiences and a large number of social platforms as key sources of support during lockdown, while websites featured more heavily in UK responses.
Perhaps as a result, two thirds of new mums in the US say they feel connected to other mums online, while in the UK, this figure is only just over 50 per cent.
Back to the future
So, what are mums most looking forward to when lockdown ends? ‘Proper date nights’, ‘any sense of normality’, ‘favourite meals out’ and ‘KFC’ get an honourable mention, but for mums in both countries, it’s the chance to see, socialise with and specifically – hug their friends and family – that is most anticipated.
US mums also can’t wait to go bowling, to the cinema or beach, while shopping and vacations around the world sit a respectable third and fourth on the list.
For mums in the UK, it’s going shopping, followed by fun trips out as a family and the chance to make holiday memories in the sun.
FanFinders operates Your Baby Club, the fastest growing mums network in the UK.
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