The average Great British mother can expect less that an hour and a half[1][1] each day to themselves according to leading Child Trust Fund provider, The Children’s Mutual[2][2].

The average full-time working mum is even worse off with less than an hour a day[3][3] of ‘me time’ – which is defined as quality time spent awake, without worrying about the stresses and strains of the daily grind! Unsurprisingly, nearly three quarters[4][4] of these women felt that this was insufficient.

Mums with part-time jobs fair slightly better than their full-time colleagues, with an extra 24 minutes a day[5][5]. Those staying at home full time only gain another 20 minutes on top of this – a princely average of one hour and 42 minutes a day.

The majority of mums prefer to spend their ‘me time’ relaxing by reading a magazine or book, closely followed by watching a film – although with less than 90 minutes to dedicate to themselves it is unlikely that they will get to see the end. Younger mums and those in the East Midlands also like to escape from their little ones by enjoying a tranquil soak in the tub.

Welsh mothers feel under the most pressure, with 85 per cent saying that they don’t get enough time to unwind. However it is mums in the South East that are actually the most hard done by with an average of only 58 minutes a day to relax. In contrast mums in the North East and those in the East Midlands enjoy nearly twice a much time for self indulgence with almost two hours[6][6] a day to themselves.

In general dads have a much easier ride – and their ‘me time’ is not impacted by the employment status of their partner. The average dad gets just over an hour and three quarters[7][7] each day to himself although there are regional discrepancies. In the North East, dads can kick back across a whopping two and a half hours[8][8] a day compared to just an hour[9][9] in the South East.

The balance is most evenly distributed in Scotland where both mums and dads get approximately an hour and a half [10][10] each day of down time. The biggest gender gap is found in London where mums get a whole hour less to themselves than dads (one hour 24 minutes versus two hours 28 minutes.)

David White, Chief Executive of The Children’s Mutual, said; “Our research confirms what most parents already knew – that the huge number of demands on a parent’s time makes any amount of ‘me time’ a real luxury.

We are trying to do our small part to free some additional time by making saving for your child’s future as quick and painless as possible. A direct debit of just £10 each month into a Child Trust Fund could grow to be worth £4,600[11][11] when the fund matures on the child’s eighteenth birthday.”

For further information on The Children’s Mutual and its products, please visit www.thechildrensmutual.co.uk

The Child Trust Fund

· The Child Trust Fund (CTF) is designed to provide a tax efficient, long term savings vehicle for all young children. Investment growth in a CTF account is free from Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax and at maturity the proceeds are free from personal tax to the child.[12][12]

· It is anticipated that a fully funded Child Trust Fund may be worth £37,000 upon maturity[13][13].

· Each newborn child (born on or after 1 September 2002), receives a voucher worth £250 (£500 for low income families) from the Government when their parents register for Child Benefit.

· This must be used to open a Child Trust Fund on the child's behalf.

· The Government’s recommended option is a Stakeholder Child Trust Fund Account. All Stakeholder CTF accounts are subject to strict guidelines governing investment type and charges.

· Parents, family and friends can all then add to this account up to a maximum value of £1,200 each year.

· The Government will make a second contribution or £250 (£500 for low income families) when the child is seven and is considering a third in the child's teenage years.

· The CTF provider manages the account until it matures and become available to the child when they are 18.