How much time do you spend on task during a day on average?

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm defining "on task" as the kind of focus you would need if you were employed by someone. So - not working flat out but not flaking out either. And I don't mean all in one chunk. You can add up how many hours of on task work you put in on an average day from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed. You can be on task cooking, cleaning, doing child care etc. but your focus needs to be on it for the purposes of this poll because I doubt you would have one eye on a book and one eye on a child and call it focused work if you had an employer. I'm asking this simply because I added up how much time I was actually on task today and wondered what others would answer.

[Guest]

I have not added it up recently, but on average, it is definitely more than 8 hours a day. Working out, making meals, cleaning up from meals, cleaning in general, working in the garden, taking care of pets, doing homeschooling, working in college class or on my homework, writing for pleasure or for my blog, working for dh's business. I do several of these things everyday and the others are every-other day.

[LaxMom]

Huh. That's a good question. There is quite a bit of "multitasking" that goes on within my house. For instance, if I move laundry along while everyone is working on a piece of school work, am I focused on two tasks, on none at all?

 

Of course, the same thing is true when I'm at work; when I open tomorrow, I'll turn the computers on, locker room lights, fans, make coffee, touch up the August schedule, but then I'll check my email, do some lesson planning, etc. At the point when I've made the coffee, my "task" is pretty much to be parked at the desk and greet the members as them come in, and respond to needs as they present themselves. I can't really say that I spend a lot of my paid work time "on task", then either...

 

Interesting tought to ponder.

[Desert Rat]

I said more than 8 hours between school with the boys, cleaning and taking care of the house, driving, working out, and working.

[Mom23Boys]

I voted 8, but when we don't do school it is more like 6-8 and when we do have school it is 8-10. My DH does a ton around here, but I tend to do more when we are out of school and he picks up a lot of slack during the school year. That is why school days aren't drastically more. My DH is off ~15 days a month, so he is home a lot.

[LibraryLover]

ETA: Edited. I think I misunderstood the question.

Edited July 27, 2012 by LibraryLover

[Jean in Newcastle]

Huh. That's a good question. There is quite a bit of "multitasking" that goes on within my house. For instance, if I move laundry along while everyone is working on a piece of school work, am I focused on two tasks, on none at all?

 

Of course, the same thing is true when I'm at work; when I open tomorrow, I'll turn the computers on, locker room lights, fans, make coffee, touch up the August schedule, but then I'll check my email, do some lesson planning, etc. At the point when I've made the coffee, my "task" is pretty much to be parked at the desk and greet the members as them come in, and respond to needs as they present themselves. I can't really say that I spend a lot of my paid work time "on task", then either...

 

Interesting tought to ponder.

 

That kind of multi-tasking is definitely being on task. I meant the kind where half of your mind is elsewhere. That would have never have counted as being on task anywhere I worked outside the home.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Now that I'm doing in-home day care, it's definitely over 8 hours a day that I'm constantly "on task". Before that, it could vary significantly by day. I'd say on an average non-babysitting day, I was probably "on" for at least 5-6 hours per day.

[SKL]

There are days when I have almost zero time NOT on task. When I'm not "working," I'm doing housework or working with my kids in some way. It can be extremely hectic as I'm under pressure to get everything done so I can get to work on second shift. A laid-back day probably has "only" about 10-12 hours on task.