Chapter 26

On the first of May, a study was published on French people’s perception of free time by the survey agency YouGov, in collaboration with Wecasa.

The newspaper 20 Minutes reported on the findings highlighting that there was a gap in the perception of leisure time between genders and regions. It was reported that while 60% of French men declared having enough free time, that number dropped to 46% for women between 35 and 44, where half reported spending their free time doing chores, taking care of the kids or groceries. The article goes on to point out very interesting statistics and findings.

If the mental load of women has finally become a rising topics in the recent years, the men in the comments were thankfully able to explain why women feel like they don’t have enough free time.

Chapter 26 read through 352 comments to help women understand why — and how to do better:

1. Women spend too much time watching TV and being on social media

“How on Earth can they not have enough free time?” asks AVD44. According to him, a survey on perception means nothing. However, data on TV ratings speaks the truth, showing that women watch more TV, and spend more time on social media. Yoman agrees that it’s just a perception because most TV programs are made for women anyway.

République_Bananière has the solution: take their phone away, and women will get the free time they’re missing. La_replique_qui_tue agrees because it doesn’t take half a day to do the laundry or the groceries: it’s the damn phone!

2. Taking care of the kids is free time

Women feel like they do not have enough free time because they perceive taking care of the kids as a chore, unlike men according to Caje1. Someone in the comments pointed out that they don’t get why women sees making dinner, bathing, and taking care of the homework as a chore because, personally, they love playing football with the kids or watching a movie with them.

3. They asked for it

“Women should decide if they want to work or have free time.” affirms Foutzele. Jerto agrees that if working is too much for them, they should just not do it.

“And after all, it’s a life choice, they chose to have kids, to have a job, to have a family and do the housework too” says Ecolodefeu, “You cannot complain of about a life choice. They could have stayed single, childless, and unemployed. But then we’d have articles like “women are bored without men””. (Or more like “women are homeless but having a good time.” )

Chittzo agrees that it’s ridiculous to complain when you chose to have kids and work.

4. They spend too much time shopping and outside

République_Bananière says he sees a lot of women on the roads (?) and Rshl speaks of the same phenomenon in disbelief as he himself sees a great deal of women outside, just doing nothing. Mich92 also raises doubts because they’re countless women shopping or doing sports while men take care of the house, the lawn, and the kids.

5. They live longer

Women actually have more free time than men, 6 years, exactly.

Why? That’s how much longer they live. It’s 6 years men are never getting back, says LeLocutusDesFrancs.

Bonga83 actually points out that women spend 30% more time than men in retirement, and that most social welfare goes towards them.

6. They spend too much time complaining

It’s not hard having free time: just stop fighting for everything, recommends Racheliane, and may they stop whining if they want better equality, says Delices_de_cuisse_de_Grenouilles.

Caje1 points out that men just do what they have to do without complaining, and that’s an inspiration!

7. They make too many kids

Honestly, I agree with Racheliane: women are popping out babies here and there, complaining it’s too much work. It was dumb of women to believe that if you’re two making a baby, both will take care of it equally.

This phenomenon is also observed in MrBokeh’s family: “it’s the women who all pushed to have kids, and then, they end up single and with full custody”. If this fact cannot be confirmed with data, it’s a relief to know the men in question managed to get away, no strings attached after being trapped to ejaculate unprotected into a woman.

8. They have too high standards and are too controlling

According to Racheliane, they are so god-damn into cleaning and would have much more free time if they would just relax.

Messager2024 adds that “They want total control over everything, the kids, the house… they should just accept that these things take time if you want to do it well.”

For Guizmo2, it’s more that they are not well organized, they could optimize better and do a bit less. He doesn’t offer suggestions but I’d say doing their own laundry or groceries, and letting the kids figure out how to get to school sounds like a good way to optimize. That should turn out fine for the family.

“Women gathered around a Tupperware meeting at the tea salon and decided that if they don’t have enough free time, it’s because of men.”

9. They don’t enjoy the chores as they should

Bella192 agrees with some men that it’s ridiculous to ask for free time and that all French people want nowadays is rest. She takes great pleasure baking, gardening, and raising the kids herself, and doesn’t see the point in resting. Pouletbasquaise has a similar experience because one of the women he knows was complaining to be exhausted, and you know by what? Planning the vacations for the whole familly!

10. They’ve become weak

Onde42 believes women are becoming weaker and want too much of everything: kids only to put them in day-care, high-responsibility jobs, more vacations… In the past, women did all of this while working 40 hours, less vacations and no day-care. Thank god they were so busy they had no time to complain.

PJ Proudhon sight that our good old maids are not how they used to be: “How can they be burned out in a country where we work 35-hour weeks and have 5 weeks of vacations?” he asks.

11. They ask for too much

It is the sentiment, in our board of directors, that it’s too much to ask for kids, a career, a clean house, and free time. No one complained back in the days!

12. It’s just a trend

I agree Jean-Christophe, it’ll pass. Let them eat cake.

13. The survey was done wrong

Many points that a survey on perception means nothing and that women would actually have much more free time than men if we looked at proper data (TV ratings, time spent on the phone). Also, women are more likely to whine, complain and victimize themselves than men, hence why they perceive this false sense of lacking leisure time (AVD44 and Caje1).

Like 20bitures said, it’s a survey made by left-wing people for left-wing people, so it’s worth nothing. For lecteur_25a3, it’s a survey for women, by women: “It’s not because you feel that you are a victim that you are one. It’s not because you feel inferior that you are”. 20bitures knows how we ended up there: women gathered around a Tupperware meeting at the tea salon and decided that if they don’t have enough free time, it’s because of men.

14. They drink and smoke too much

One final reason by Chevalier Kadosh and Uzi2014, although they have not provided data or evidence of this.

Overall, the men in the comments are in disbelief that women are complaining about the mental load of raising kids and taking care of the house because they love playing football with the children or mowing the lawn in the sun.

Honestly, the general feeling that women have of doing more at home and for the kids is a false perception fuelled by women’s tendency to complain and whine, or a Tupperware meeting conspiracy.

If it takes two to make a kid, it’s still a woman’s choice and god forbids they complain when they end up having to fully take care of it.

Wise men have spoken, and it’s widely recommended to stay single, childless, and unemployed if you wish to have more free time. I’m aware it’s hard to live without a salary or renouncing having a family, but you cannot have it all.

Some men suggested women could be less controlling over the house and the kids, or just not do it. I think they meant that for example you could do your own laundry, own meals, not clean anything, and let the kids figure out how to get to school. See, it’s actually easier to be a woman than a man, and that’s why there are so many transgender people, according to one of our wise, uneducated old French men in the comments.

Since these men seem pretty sure of themselves on how to save the world, I suggest we put them in a leadership position, to fix the male loneliness epidemic for example.

Chapter 26

**Disclaimer – This article is obviously a satire, but based on real comments under the article that inspired this post. If you have enough common sense to judge these comments as outrageous, note that there is probably a strong correlation between education level and the habit of sharing your unsolicited opinion in a newspaper’s comment section. I’m convinced these Stone Age opinions do not reflect the views of most men, only a few hundreds.