Why does it seem so much easier for men to claim large blocks of leisure time for themselves than it is for women? This week, based on a listener question, we are asking: What is the mom equivalent of golf?

We unpack the “leisure time gender gap,” why women’s downtime is often treated as optional, and how motherhood changes the way we think about rest, hobbies, and friendship.

We discuss:

Why golf has become a uniquely protected, and male-coded, form of leisure
How parenting young children turns leisure into a zero-sum game
Practical ideas from listeners for creating more intentional leisure time which includes connection with friends

Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

Katie Garrity for Scary Mommy: ⁠⁠Is There A Women's Hobby Equivalent To Men's Golfing Habits?⁠⁠
Bruce Drake for Pew Research Center: ⁠⁠Another Gender Gap: Men Spend More Time in Leisure Activities⁠⁠
Carolina Aragão for Pew Research Center: ⁠⁠Working husbands in U.S. have more leisure time than working wives do, especially among those with children⁠⁠
⁠⁠Check out the whole thread of excellent ideas in our Facebook group!

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