The lazy days of summer are behind us with the new school year underway, and that means moms and dads are back to the mad morning rush to get out the door and get the kids to school on time. Between making breakfast the little ones refuse to eat and trying to wrangle them out of PJs and into school clothes, mornings can be absolute chaos, and it’s the most stressful time of day for a lot of families.
A new survey of 1,000 parents pinpoints the exact time peak stress kicks in - 7:16a.m., to be exact.
- For 15%, when kids can’t find their shoes, the pressure spikes, and for 21%, it’s the battle to get children dressed that sends them over the edge.
- It’s a hectic way to start the day and 42% of parents admit they feel relieved once their kid has been dropped off at school.
- But three-quarters say the school run itself is stressful, so much so that 11% would rather be on hold with their power company than deal with the car line at school.
- A third would prefer grocery shopping and 28% would rather take the trash out than do the school drop-off.
- Coffee is the key for some groggy parents, with 39% calling it a crucial part of their morning routine.
- While some moms and dads don’t get a cup of it until the kids are where they need to be, 9% have their first caffeine fix before 6:29a.m.
- But the stress doesn’t end when the kids are at school for the 28% who say they often realize they’ve forgotten their work stuff after dropping the kids off.
- Another 14% have been on their way to work when they realized they still had slippers on, while 11% discovered they were still wearing their pajamas.
- The biggest things that make school mornings stressful to parents are kids taking forever to do simple tasks, kids not being ready on time, and having to beg them to brush their teeth.
Source: Talking Points