From packing lunches to making sure everyone has on coats and shoes, getting your kids ready for school in the morning can be a serious struggle. And, according to new research, that struggle is the equivalent of an entire day of work.
Based on a survey of about 2,000 working parents, Kellogg’s found that parents are spending an average of 10 hours and 15 minutes per week getting their kids ready in the morning. In fact, the study revealed that most parents complete about 43 different activities before they even get to the office, including making the beds, signing permission slips, and putting away toys.
So it’s no surprise that the average parent, who wakes up at 6:01 a.m. and starts work at 8:59 a.m., believes that they’re their most productive between the hours of 7 and 8 in the morning.
But that busyness can also lead to a lot of stress (and exhaustion) for working parents, which is something that experts urge workplaces to be more cognizant and respectful of. “We’re all feeling the stresses of modern life with the hassles of always-on culture and parental chores adding to the burden of already frazzled parents,” psychologist Dr. Becky Spelman told Metro UK. She added, “As well as ensuring that we all keep our minds and bodies properly nourished and energized, employers offering flexible hours for working parents can be a real help when it comes to managing the work-life balance.”
The survey also found that more than half of parents admit to bribing their kids with rewards like extra electronics time to get them out the door on time. And throughout the school year, parents will have asked their kids to “hurry up” nearly 540 times.
