Chinese Working Mothers Book Hotel Rooms To Escape Stress, Catch Up On Sleep

For a woman, life completely changes after she gives birth, as motherhood is not a one-time experience; it's a continuous process where challenges shift instead of disappear as the child grows. For working mothers, it becomes even more difficult to tackle everything all at once as they struggle to find even one moment of peace.

Women in China have found a way to deal with the situation. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), a growing number of working mothers in the country are spending their own money to book solo hotel stays, not for a vacation, but simply to catch up on sleep.

The report cited findings of recent studies, which claim that the burden of household responsibilities still falls heavily on women.

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Over a third of working mothers in China spend more than two hours every single day on domestic chores, taking on a much larger share of the workload than working fathers, the report stated.

The report mentioned the case of a 34-year-old mother who, on RedNote, shared that she had no personal space at home as she lives with her husband, in-laws, and kindergarten-age daughter.

To escape the 'suffocating' personal life, the woman one day booked a hotel room after work, telling her family she had to work overtime.

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"Spending a little over 100 yuan (US$15) for four hours of freedom was completely worth it," the post read, as quoted by SCMP. "At that moment, it felt like I was dating myself."

As her story went viral, many working mothers across the country began sharing their "hotel getaway diaries" on social media.

Many online users point out that even when other family members try to help, children usually turn to their mothers first.

"Even when family members step in, children almost always look to Mum first," one online user commented as quoted.

"They are human beings first, and only then mothers, workers, and wives. For some women, work is the only break; home is just an endless to-do list," another user reportedly wrote.