National Survey: Moms Spend 1150 More Hours Parenting per Year than Dads

CHICAGO, Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Equality in parenting is still a pipe dream. Nearly half (48%) of working moms say they spend more time each day parenting than on their careers, more than double that of working dads (19%), according to the "Moms Who Do More" National Report, commissioned by VTech®.

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Because moms are picking up so much slack at home AND at work, most moms agree "me time" is nearly extinct. Nearly 70% of working moms have an hour or less to themselves each day. And more than 20% report that they have less than fifteen minutes.

When parents were asked to add up how many hours they spend parenting each day, moms beat dads hands down. Moms average nearly 7.5 hours per day spent on parenting tasks, while dads clock an average of 4.3 hours per day. Over a year, that difference adds up to an extra 1150 hours of parenting duty for moms!

Parenting expert Dr. Michele Borba encourages moms to put away their "supermom" capes and let family and friends pitch in. Borba has teamed up with VTech to offer fresh ideas on ways mom can find time for herself yet still teach, nourish and nurture their children. And VTech's new line of learning products are fun for kids, but make moms happy with more educational features and content than ever before.

Dr. Michele Borba's Tips for Moms Who Do More:

Daily decompress time - Instead of sneaking off to steal time to check emails or Facebook, synchronize your online time with your child's play time. Make sure they have a tech toy that is not only fun but also helps them learn, like VTech's web-enabled Tote & Go Laptop®. With 20 learning activities, online downloads and a pretend "social network", this is a great way to teach your child about responsible tech habits while keeping them learning and entertained.

Create a "mom-semble" - Whether it's your friends, your playgroup or the ladies you see at the coffee shop each day, most moms are going through the same issues as you and want time to relax with some friends. Plan fun events and activities that act as a support system and let you have some girl time while the kids play.

Dinner planning parties - Get a small group of moms organized to plan meals each week. Everyone splits the ingredient list and takes turn hosting a cooking night – at the end each family ends up with enough meals for their families to last the week! This is a great way to knock out healthy family dinners in one shot.

Ask for help - More than 60% of moms want help with parenting but are afraid to ask. Opt out of the hyper-competitive "supermom" myth, chances are your friends and neighbors feel just as stressed as you. You'll see that the grass is the same color green on the other side when you ask other moms how they find time for themselves without the guilt.

Make learning time fun again - VTech offers innovative play experiences for kids that blur the line between fun and learning, giving mom a chance to reclaim some valuable "me time." VTech toys have more education and development opportunities for growing minds, more products at a range of prices that fit tight budgets and more features to keep kids entertained and learning at the same time.

Highlighting VTech's new fall line of products is the Brilliant Creations Advanced Notebook, the world's first color-screen laptop for kids priced at under $50. Kids will love how much this notebook looks just like their parent's laptop, while moms will appreciate the budget-friendly price.

Brilliant Creations Advanced Notebook™

Ages 5 to 8 years – SRP: $49.99

This innovative learning laptop that features a large color screen is packed with value and curriculum-based activities, giving your child a head start for grade school.

• 5" Color LCD Screen: This realistic looking notebook features a 5" color LCD screen with high-quality animations.
• 120 Learning Activities: The Brilliant Creations Advanced Notebook has everything your grade school child needs to get ahead in school. Its 120 learning activities teach language arts, science, math, foreign language, creativity and more!
• Learning Computer Skills: The Brilliant Creations Advanced Notebook features a real computer mouse and a touch pad. These, together with a high quality QWERTY keyboard, offer your grade school child a real life computer experience.
• The Brilliant Creations Advanced Notebook™ is available at Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart and their online stores, as well as www.vtechkids.com and www.amazon.com.

Brilliant Creations Beginner Laptop™

Ages 4 to 7 years – SRP: $34.99

This innovative learning laptop, featuring a color screen, offers tons of value and learning activities that prepare your young child for school.

• 3.7" Color LCD Screen: This realistic looking laptop features a 3.7" color LCD screen, offering great value for your child.
• 80 Learning Activities: The Brilliant Creations Beginner Laptop connects your child to a rich and well-balanced world of learning! It teaches essential basic skills in a fun and colorful way through 80 learning activities that focus on creativity, letters, vocabulary, counting, matching and more!
• Learning Computer Skills: The Brilliant Creations Beginner Laptop features a working cursor mouse and a high quality QWERTY keyboard to offer your young learner a real-life computer experience.
• The Brilliant Creations Beginner Laptop™ is available at Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart and their online stores, as well as www.vtechkids.com and www.amazon.com.

Tote & Go Laptop®

Ages 3 to 6 years – SRP: $24.99

Your pre-school child will play just like a grown-up and can get familiarized with the structure of a real computer while playing educational games.

• Learning Activities: Your child can play one of 20 learning activities that teach letters, spelling, vocabulary, numbers, counting, logic, and shapes.
• Online Value: For additional educational value to your growing child, the Tote & Go Laptop features a PC connection. It allows for additional downloadable content, including music, games, stories and customized e-cards from VTech's Learning Lodge – a portal that provides rich content for Tote & Go and allows parents to track their child's progress.
• Social Network: The Tote & Go Laptop® also includes a pretend social network of helpful animal friends that your child can visit, as well as a virtual fish tank that your child can care for.
• Learning Computer Skills: The Tote & Go Laptop has a basic ABC keyboard. It also has a working mouse that can be stored conveniently in the top of the unit.
• The Tote & Go Laptop® is available at Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart and their online stores, as well as www.vtechkids.com and www.amazon.com.

ABOUT THE MOMS WHO DO MORE NATIONAL REPORT

The national survey was conducted online with a random sample of 1035 moms and dads 18+, with children ages 0 to 9; all members of the Impulse Research proprietary online panel.

The Impulse Research proprietary online panel has been carefully selected to closely match US population demographics and the respondents are representative of American moms and dads 18+, with children ages 0 to 9.

Research was conducted in late May, early June 2011.

The overall sampling error rate for this survey is +/-3% at the 95% rate of confidence.

ABOUT DR. MICHELE BORBA

Michele Borba, Ed.D. is an internationally renowned educator, award-winning author of The Big Book of Parenting Solutions, parenting expert and child and adolescent expert. She is recognized for her practical, solution-based strategies to strengthen children's behavior, character, and social development, and to build strong families. She offers realistic, research-based advice culled from a career of working with over one million parents and educators worldwide.

ABOUT VTECH

VTech, the creator of the Electronic Learning Products (ELP) category and the award-winning V.Reader and MobiGo hand-held toys, is a world leader of age-appropriate learning products. Since 1980, VTech has been developing high-quality, innovative educational products that enrich children's development, from birth to preteen, through fun and smart play.

VTech Electronics North America, LLC is based in Arlington Heights, Ill. VTech is headquartered in Hong Kong and is the world's largest manufacturer of cordless telephones and provides highly sought-after contract manufacturing services, with distribution throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

For more information on VTech's additional product lines, visit www.vtechkids.com on the Web, www.facebook.com/VTechToys on Facebook or follow @VTechToys on Twitter.

SOURCE VTech