When I work into the early hours (very often I might add!), trying to catch up on emails and things, it still surprises me when I get an email response back from a contact at 10pm, 11pm, 12am…and more often than not, they are mums!
Now there is research to prove that these are not just a small sample of mums – according to research by Three, almost half of all UK mums (48 per cent) admit to going online in the depths of the night just to get everything done, and because of this a third of mums (33 per cent) now get less than six hours of sleep.
Take note mumpreneurs!
The survey of 3,000 mums across the UK found that busy working mums are avid internet users, with a third (28 per cent) going online for at least an hour a day. As well as looking for parenting advice and activities for their children, the top online activities are email, online banking, staying in touch with friends on Facebook, looking for money saving tips and vouchers, as well as reading the news.
Proof that mums have no ‘me-time’
Us busy working mums know what a juggling act we perform on a daily basis, but we now have research to confirm that mums are always on the go. The same study found that most mums (82 per cent) now have less than an hour of ‘me time’ a day, leaving the majority of mums (78 per cent) stressed on a daily basis.
There is an answer
Three is working with celebrity mum Denise Van Outen and reaching out through NCT members, to help show mums the benefits of using smartphones and having internet on the go – as the research indicated that mums can save 135 hours a year by having internet access while out and about.
At Motherswhowork.co.uk, we’ve been trying to show mums for years how mobile internet on smartphones can help you stay connected with friends, family and your business, and also gives the freedom to be online for both work and play, wherever you are, and when it’s convenient to you!
And thanks to Three’s All-You-Can-Eat data you can now do this without worrying about the cost.
Speaking about how mobile internet can help the modern mum, Sally Horrox from NCT said: “NCT wants people to have a parenting experience that enriches their lives and gives them confidence. Sharing information with a network of parents is a great support and benefit in parenthood, and this is what NCT is all about. The many ways that mobile internet is helping parents make connections is a great additional support for parents.
“We’ve noticed more of our members accessing our site and newsletter on their phones, which is one of the reasons we’ve launched our NCT Babychange app, helping parents save time when looking for quality baby changing facilities.â€
Celebrity mum Denise Van Outen added: “My daughter has just turned one and keeps me constantly busy, so I can certainly empathise with busy mums.
“I love the internet and often tweet or go online late at night when I get some down time. Becoming smartphone savvy has been a great eye opener and I’ve enjoyed making dead time, such as standing in shopping queues and waiting for friends, more productive. With the help of some amazing apps I now have instant access to my email, bank accounts, news and travel updates at my fingertips.â€
Sylvia Chind from Three explained: “Our research shows that mums are particularly stretched for time and are really optimistic about how mobile internet could help them claim some of this back. We want to share hints, tips and tricks on what mums can do with mobile internet to help their lives run more smoothly.
“We want to reach out to as many mums as we can. Our aim is to give mums confidence and peace of mind when it comes to using mobile internet and smartphones, which is why we offer truly unlimited data on both pay as you go and contract plans.â€
Are you the UK’s busiest mum? You could win a family holiday!
Three is also launching a nationwide competition to find the UK’s Busiest Mum. There is the chance to win an all-expenses-paid family holiday to the Caribbean for one deserving mum and her family. There are also BlackBerry smartphones available to win. To enter visit Three’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ThreeUK.
Three is also working with Race Online, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Lowri Turner and Laura Tenison (who has been featured on Motherswhowork.co.uk before) to help show mums how to make the most of mobile internet.
Three offers all-you-can-eat data on both The One Plan and Pay As You Go packages, allowing customers to download the latest apps and music, use maps, view videos, update Facebook and Twitter, shop around for the best bargains and loads more without worrying about the cost of internet use.
