What your mum watches on Netflix
David Farnor | On 13, Jul 2017
Being a mother isn’t easy. Being a mother with a Netflix account is even harder.
New research from Netflix shows that nearly all mothers in the US (97 per cent) agree that they had more “me time,” including time to binge their favourite shows whenever and however they wanted, before having kids. While they wouldn’t give up motherhood for anything, they do pine for a few precious minutes to themselves to catch an episode of Gilmore Girls to feel more in touch with pop culture, friends and co-workers. Now, almost three-quarters (71 per cent) of mums find creative ways to sneak in some quality streaming time.
Almost half of mums (46 per cent) admit to sneaking their favorite shows up to three times a day, and for a variety of good reasons – from feeling like they can be a better parent by de-stressing to feeling more connected with friends and co-workers. Doing household chores, such as a load of laundry (57 per cent) and cooking a meal (48 per cent), are the most common ways moms get in Netflix time while multitasking. Other popular types of sneaking include: Bathroom sneaking (40 per cent), extending time on the proverbial throne to sneak in some QT with a new series like The Crown; Beauty sneaking (27 per cent), taking a little extra time applying makeup to catch the first episode of a returning favourite, such as Orange Is the New Black; Hide and sneaking (21 per cent), ducking into the dark recesses of the house (pantry, closet, basement or laundry room) to indulge in a nail biter, such as Stranger Things; Healthy sneaking (15 per cent), spending an extra 30 minutes at the gym to burn off the last episode of a slamming series, such as Marvel’s Jessica Jones; Carpool sneaking (15 per cent), pressing play on a nostalgic throwback, such as Gilmore Girls, while parked for school pickup.
The sneaks don’t stop there. Nowhere is off limits for mums to find time to stream, from taking breaks while working at home (22 per cent), running “errands” (19 per cent), sitting in the driveway (17 per cent) and fibbing about other obligations (12 per cent).
According to mums, they need their streaming time to take a break from daily routine (66 per cent) and have some adult-only time (49 per cent), feel less stressed (55 per cent) and more refreshed (37 per cent), get some peace and quiet (47 per cent) and watch something other than kids’ TV (46 per cent).
From keeping up with the ladies of Litchfield to steamy doctor dramas and rallying around zombie fighting friends, Netflix asked mums what their most sneak-worthy shows are. They include Orange is the New Black, 13 Reasons Why, How to Get Away With Murder, Once Upon A Time, Fuller House and Gilmore Girls.