Can Motherhood and Womanhood Co-Exist?
03 Mai 2007 - 2:13PM
PR Newswire (US)
New Report Reveals 77 Percent of Moms Don't Do Enough to Take Care
of Themselves CHICAGO, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- For many women, an
important rite of passage for womanhood is becoming a mother.
However all too often, after the baby is born, the focus quickly
shifts and the routines that were once rituals are buried in the
bottom of the family laundry basket. While it's not surprising that
their children and families come first, a new report of 3,000 U.S.
moms reveals that although most (76 percent) agree it's just as
important for mothers to take care of themselves as their families,
nearly eight in ten moms don't do enough. One of the biggest things
falling by the wayside is her sense of feeling and looking
beautiful. A whopping 84 percent admit they've let their appearance
slide since becoming a mom and that taking care of their appearance
has become more of a wish than a reality. The majority (66 percent)
say guilt is one of the barriers to self care. So, can motherhood
and womanhood co-exist? Beauty brand Suave developed the Suave
Motherhood vs. Womanhood Report to understand the many tradeoffs
women face when they become moms and the consequences for their
sense of womanhood. The study, conducted in partnership with Dr.
Kathleen Gerson, New York University professor of sociology, also
probed the benefits that occur when moms do put themselves back on
the to-do list. Motherhood vs. Womanhood The Suave Motherhood vs.
Womanhood Report reveals about one third of moms believe that being
a mother and being a woman actually conflict. Furthermore, one in
four moms (23 percent) can't remember the last time they did
something that made them feel like a woman -- while 42 percent
report it was more than a month ago. More evidence that moms' needs
are low on the list: -- Although 67 percent of moms would rather
get their pre-baby body back than their pre-baby sex life, exercise
opportunities are tough to come by. After shopping for themselves,
exercise is the second most desired activity to pursue during
coveted "me" time -- 66 percent admit they sometimes don't have
enough time to take a shower or bath -- Some 80 percent have gone
weeks or months without a haircut (even though they felt they
needed one) -- Over half (53 percent) say that they've forgotten to
brush their teeth in the morning "I've studied women and family
dynamics for more than twenty years, and I'm not surprised that
there's a conflict felt between being a woman and being a mother,"
says Professor Gerson. "Despite the rise of busier lives, mothers
remain key family caregivers who are relied upon heavily by the
whole family. So it's not surprising that moms often set aside or
even forget their own needs. But moms also need to look out for
themselves, which means doing things that help them keep an
identity of their own apart from the role of mom." The Benefits
Abound When moms do take care of themselves, an overwhelming 93
percent say it makes them feel good. Moms who take care of
themselves report they feel happier (76 percent), more attractive
(76 percent) and more self-confident (72 percent). Furthermore,
taking care of themselves made 60 percent feel more feminine and
just over half feel like they are setting a good example for their
children. What else makes moms feel good? According to the study,
eight in ten married moms admitted nothing made them feel prettier
than a compliment from their husband. Professor Gerson adds
"Mothers are caregivers, and taking time for themselves will not
change that. Yet it's important for moms to find opportunities to
put themselves on their list of priorities. It comes as no surprise
that moms feel happier when they do take this step, and that doing
so can have huge benefits for the entire family." Say Yes to
Beautiful Suave believes motherhood and womanhood can co-exist and
the brand is on a mission to wake up moms and encourage them to
take care of themselves and get their beauty back. The brand's 360
degree "Say Yes to Beautiful" integrated marketing campaign reminds
moms that beauty has a place amongst the dirty dishes and piles of
laundry that are an inevitable part of motherhood. "We know that
these women love being moms, and that family is always a top
priority," says Sarah Jensen, Director, Unilever Hair Care. "But we
want to issue a wake up call to remind moms to look in the mirror,
think about their beauty and put themselves back on the to-do
list." The campaign's message and new advertising executions are
lighthearted, and use startling statistics to nudge moms into
action. Beyond its advertising, Suave has an exclusive partnership
with the Hot Moms Club, an online community of empowered, confident
mothers of all ages and walks of life who are committed to
redefining motherhood. The Suave brand and its products are
integrated into the content of the mom-to-mom online community and
e-newsletter. Additionally, Suave and the Hot Moms Club are
co-sponsoring events for moms in 2007. Suave has also partnered
with Sprint to create "In the Motherhood," the first-ever web
series by moms, for moms and about moms. The program involves real
moms submitting stories about their everyday lives on
http://www.msn.com/, and webisodes starring actress Leah Remini are
created from the winning entries. The webisodes debut online as
well as on national daytime television in May. Visit
http://www.inthemotherhood.com/ for program details. Suave offers
moms a guilt-free beauty solution, providing a wide variety of
great performing hair care, skin care and deodorant products at a
great price. For more information on the Suave "Say Yes to
Beautiful Campaign" visit http://www.suave.com/. About the Suave
Motherhood vs. Womanhood Report These results are of 3,009 surveys
conducted March 26-April 2, 2007 by KRC Research. 1,004 interviews
were conducted by telephone of a probability sample, representative
of all moms ages 18 and older who only have children under the age
of 15 nationwide. For this sample, the estimated sampling error is
+/- 3.1 percent at a 95% confidence level. 2,005 interviews were
conducted on-line and were obtained from pre-recruited research
panels. They may or may not be nationally representative, but even
before weighting, their responses closely mirrored the probability
sample. About Suave Suave offers more than 300 personal care
products including body washes, body lotion, in-shower body lotion,
hair care and anti-perspirants/deodorants. A Unilever Home &
Personal Care Brand, Suave is available nationwide in food, drug
and mass outlet stores. Suave, a name that has been trusted for
quality and value for 70 years, is purchased by 61 percent of
American households each year. Sixteen Suave products are sold
every second. For more information, visit http://www.suave.com/.
Unilever (NYSE:ULNYSE:UN), one of the world's largest consumer
products companies, aims to add vitality to life by meeting
everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care. Each day,
around the world, consumers make 150 million decisions to purchase
Unilever products. The company has a portfolio of brands that make
people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the United
States these brands include recognized names such as: Axe, "all,"
Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock,
Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Lipton, Knorr,
Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave,
Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are
registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated
to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and
play, Unilever in the United States employs approximately 13,000
people in 60 office and manufacturing sites in 24 states and Puerto
Rico -- generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2006. For more
information visit http://www.unileverusa.com/. DATASOURCE: Suave
CONTACT: Heather Mitchell of Unilever, +1-312-661-2363, ; or Janna
Porrevecchio of Weber Shandwick, +1-312-988-2125, , for Suave Web
site: http://www.suave.com/ http://www.unileverusa.com/
http://www.inthemotherhood.com/
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