MOTHERHOOD can be a tiring time — especially when women are under pressure to work, run a home and look after the children.

According to a recent survey, one-in-five mums in Lancashire with pre-school age children is so exhausted by the pressures of parenting that they only enjoy half the time they spend with their little ones.

Feeling guilty about going to work was also at the top of the list with almost a quarter of the 2,000 mums in Lancashire who took the survey, saying they felt bad about using childcare.

And now that the pension age has increased, many families are forced to pay for childcare for their pre-school children as their parents are still working.

Lisa Mariner, 40, a mum of three and grandmother of two from Blackburn, said that even though her children were older, motherhood was still a tiring job and she could see her own children struggling with the demands.

She said: “It is hard work being a mum at times and having to work and then finding time for yourself is even harder. I often look after the grandchildren just so that I can help out my children.

“But women shouldn’t feel guilty about having a well-deserved break when they need it.”

The survey, carried out in September, found that 68 per cent of Lancashire mums with children under five didn't have any childcare support because they couldn't afford it; 79 per cent wished for just an hour or two child-free time a week and 43 per cent said they would employ more childcare if they could afford it.

Mandy Garner is web editor for workingmums.co.uk, a website that offers job opportunities advice, news and working mums' blogs, in order to share news, views and information with working mums in East Lancashire and beyond.

The mother-of-four says that women should find the work and family balance that they feel comfortable with without feeling guilty.

She said: "Looking after pre-school children can definitely be exhausting and mums need some time out.

It is not coincidental that many working mums say they go to work for a rest. But juggling work and family life can add a whole different dimension to exhaustion if they don't get the balance that is right for them.

“That will differ according to every situation. We want to put mums in direct contact with employers who are promoting family-friendly working as we feel both can benefit: employers get access to experienced, skilled workers and mums get to meet employers who offer the kind of flexibility they need, whether that is flexi hours, some degree of homeworking or part-time work."

A study carried out by preschool TV channel Cartoonio also asked mums how they felt about using childcare.

Of the responses, 33 per cent said childcare was a good thing for them and their children; half cited developing socialisation skills as the biggest positive for their child. But almost a quarter of mums in Lancashire said they felt guilty about using childcare.

Amy McInerey, from Blackburn, has a three-month-old baby and said she would not be returning back to full-time employment any time soon.

The former nursery nurse said: “I have decided not to go back to work because I don’t want to miss out on my daughter growing up. I think in the future I may go part-time but feeling guilty and tired for working and coping with a child at the same time is something I don’t want to do just yet.”