What’s your most stressful part of the day as a parent? It’s a toss up between mornings and bedtime for me. According to a study of 1,000 parents breakfast is the most stressful time of the day, largely due to things like queues for the bathroom and running out of milk for cereal.
Top 10 greatest causes of morning stress:
1. Kids not getting out of bed
2. Kids getting dressed
3. Getting the kids to leave the house on time
4. Kids brushing their teeth
5. Kids eating breakfast
6. Finding misplaced items such as school uniforms, school bags or shoes
7. Kids putting shoes on
8. Getting yourself ready for the day
9. Kids having a tantrum
10. Setting alarm to snooze
The study of parents and their children uncovered a never-ending list of early morning responsibilities, with more than two-thirds feeling there are never enough minutes in the morning. I know that feeling, it doesn’t matter how much I prepare the night before, we still seem in a rush to get out of the door.
Getting yourself – and the kids – out of bed on time, getting little ones to brush their teeth, and making sure everyone eats well were found to be the top culprits behind morning stress.
During a typical working week, this means families will sit and eat breakfast together for just two out of five days, wolfing down their meal in less than 10 minutes – but 15 per cent NEVER eat the first meal of the day together. That relies on everyone being up and ready for breakfast at the same time, surely?
Nearly two-thirds of mums and dads – and half of children – wish they could sit down and talk together EVERY morning over breakfast – I agree that would be lovely.
The study was commissioned by Lyle’s Golden Syrup to encourage Brits to enjoy #LylesGoldenTime – 15 minutes connecting with loved ones over a good breakfast, setting everyone up in mind and body for the day ahead.
The study also found that after spending nearly an hour battling through the morning routine, more than a quarter of parents would describe getting themselves – and the kids – out the door on time as a ‘daily struggle’.
A fifth said they spend the majority of time in the morning packing bags, with three in 10 preparing lunches for the family and a third swamped by ensuring everyone has breakfast. As a result, a quarter of families end up being late leaving the house for more than half of their working week.
The research, which also polled 1,000 children aged six to 16, found nearly a quarter of youngsters find getting ready for school stressful. More than three in 10 said being unable to find their school clothes can worry them first thing in the morning, with getting homework done a concern for 45 per cent.
However – as many as eight in 10 youngsters agreed it’s important to have breakfast, with more than one in 10 feeling that skipping the family meal can make getting ready for school more stressful.
It also emerged 62 per cent of adults are grabbing breakfast on the go, rather than making time for a meal, with the average adult skipping their morning sustenance entirely twice a week. A third of parents also admitted to giving their child something to eat ‘on the go’, so they don’t start the day on an empty stomach – at least they’ve got something inside them right?
The good news is that a good breakfast doesn’t have to take the whole morning, as more than half of those surveyed, via OnePoll, agreed porridge is a quick, filling and nutritious option.
Do your manage to take the time out to prioritise sitting down together and enjoying breakfast as a family? Or are you always in a mad rush? Do you think there are any things you could do differently to ease the morning pressure? If you already have this nailed, feel free to share your comments below!
