New Study Finds Working Parents Are Too Stressed to Have Sex With Their Spouses, Go to the Gym or Call a Friend

WALTHAM, Mass., March 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a national survey commissioned by Care.com, Inc. (http://www.care.com), sixty-two percent of working parents revealed that they are too stressed from managing their jobs and their families to go to the gym, call a friend or have sex with their spouses.  A quarter of working parents (25%) reported that they would leave their current jobs for less or considerably less money if that would provide more flexibility in their lives.

With more than a third (34%) of parents relying on their nannies or babysitters to make their lives run smoothly, 62% find that it is stressful to extremely stressful when a childcare crisis, such as a sick nanny or babysitter or a school closing occurs.  And while more than half (58%) of parents have a childcare back-up plan, only ten percent rely on their employers to provide emergency back-up care as a benefit.

Care.com, Inc., the premier source of trustworthy family care options, including profiles of hundreds of thousands of babysitters, nannies, and senior caregivers, found in its survey that the greatest source of stress for parents was managing work-life balance.  More than a third of parents – (35 percent) cited work-life as most stressful while a quarter of parents (24%) felt that finding a trusted care provider for their child is more stressful than keeping their relationship with their spouse happy (18.4%) and excelling at their jobs (11.3%).

"While the White House recently announced the great strides of women in the workplace, this survey shows that the work-life balance for so many working parents remains elusive," said Wendy Sachs, editor in chief of Care.com.

"The Care.com survey finds that despite successful careers, our work is impacting our personal lives in unhealthy ways.  Working moms, particularly those with young children, are exhausted and stressed by a workday that for many never ends because we are tethered to technology 24/7," Sachs said.   "It's no surprise that moms who are toting buzzing BlackBerries in their bags chock-full of work emails, can feel tapped out and not eager for sex. Stress kills the libido."  

The Care.com survey was conducted via an online survey at Care.com among 600 adult parents 18 years of age from February 22 – March 1, 2011.

About Care.com, Inc.

Founded in 2006, Care.com is the largest and fastest growing service used by families to find high-quality caregivers, providing a trusted place to easily connect, share caregiving experiences and get advice. The company addresses the unique lifecycle of care needs that each family goes through-child care, special needs care, tutoring and lessons, senior care, pet care, housekeeping and more. The service helps families find and select the best care available based on detailed profiles, background checks and references for hundreds of thousands of mom-reviewed and pre-screened providers who seek to share their services. Through its Care.com Employer Program, corporations can offer Care.com memberships as a benefit to employees. www.care.com.

SOURCE Care.com