Getting Kids Ready for School Equals Extra Work Day

A recent study, which falls into the category “no surprises here,” found that the amount of time and effort parents put in to get their children ready for school was the equivalent of a full day’s work. Getting kids ready for school equals extra work day. You read it correctly: an extra day.

Duh. We all know the chaos of the school morning routine as parents. There’s the rushing, reminders, searching for lost socks, and nagging. A study confirms what we’ve all felt for years: getting kids out of the door is not easy. It’s a lot of work, and it can be as exhausting as a full day at the office.

Work an Extra Day

This study found that parents spend more than 10 hours per week getting their children ready for school. This is an extra day of work on top of everything we already do, including our jobs, maintaining the house, caring for younger siblings, and carving out time for ourselves.

You’re not the only one who has felt that you have worked a full day when you arrive at your desk on Friday morning. The constant shouting at kids to eat their breakfast, the reminders that they should brush their teeth, and the frantic searches for the shoe you swear is just down the hall floor all add up. It’s not surprising that by the time the kids are out of the house, we feel physically and mentally exhausted. It’s not all in your head. It’s real.

Let’s look deeper at what makes early mornings so chaotic. There’s a lot of work behind the scenes that goes into getting the kids ready. We often think about the obvious: waking them up, making sure they eat breakfast and get dressed, but there is a whole undercurrent that adds to the chaos. The madness begins with making sure homework is in the bag and signing permission slips at the last minute. And, of course, there’s always that constant battle to find their shoes. This is no easy task.

Research Findings

A survey of 2,000 parents commissioned by a group surveyed the views of 2,000 parents. The study focused on the “hidden” tasks involved in getting your child ready for school. “Hideous” means those small things that can add up to a lot of stress. According to research, parents spend an additional ten hours per week getting their children ready for school. The morning routine is not only about getting your child up and out the door.

Parents complete 43 tasks on average every morning before the bell rings at school. The tasks include the obvious, like finding the uniforms or packing lunches, to the less glamorous but still necessary, such as defrosting the dinner, signing the permission slips, and making sure that everything is ready for the evening. Let’s not forget about the battle against toothpaste, jam, and spilled milk that often ends up on your child’s newly pressed uniform.

The study took into consideration the mental and emotional energy that parents expend in this process. It’s stressful to get kids out of bed in time and worry about them forgetting something (like their library book or lunch). It’s not easy to keep up with the laundry cycle. Uniforms, socks, and PE kits are never in the right spot when you need them. While parents spend a great deal of time organizing, chaos soon returns.

Early Risers

You’re not the only one who wonders how early they need to get up to accomplish all of this. To stay on top of things, parents are up at least 6:00 am. In the survey, one-third of parents said that they are up by 5:30 am to start their day. Before the sun rises, many parents are in full-on rush mode. They’re balancing everything from getting their kids ready and fed to finishing up their tasks.

It’s not only about getting up early but also about how many things you have to accomplish in a short period. Mornings can be anything but calm. You have to prepare breakfast, sort out forgotten homework, check that everyone’s shoes are on the correct feet, and even act as a referee if arguments arise over which cereal to eat. There are never-ending lists and reminders.

A spokesperson stated that “we wanted parents to experience a real school morning before sending their kids to school.” It’s nice to acknowledge that parents have a difficult time every morning. However, we can all agree on the need for some assistance, like someone to do the laundry or make homemade snacks for their children’s lunchboxes.

In addition, the study found that parents tend to neglect their own needs in the rush of getting kids ready for school. Parents admitted to skipping breakfast, rushing through their morning routine, or even sacrificing personal care to get their children on time for school. You know what it’s like if you have ever tried to eat toast and brush your hair at the same time.

Real Mornings Won’t Change

This study will not fix the problems that cause mornings to be so chaotic. It’s not just a matter of better organization but a constant juggling that leaves us with no energy.

As an example, I know that I should have packed lunches the night before. However, most evenings, I help my kindergartener with his reading and washing dishes. I may also be tucking in my other child to sleep. The alarm goes off at 6:00 am the next day, and I am already running on fumes.

My mornings are unlikely to change very much. At least I now have the study as a backup to justify why I drink such a large amount of caffeine.

It’s true that while we all know mornings can be stressful, changing our routines is not always an easy task. Even though we are aware that we can be more prepared, we still rush through the mornings. It seems like there’s always another thing that needs to be done, whether it’s the child’s homework, an unfinished school project, or a meltdown because you have to wear a coat in cold weather. It’s hard to keep up with a routine because it is unpredictable.

Finds Surprising, But Not So Surprising

The findings of this study may not be revolutionary for most parents, but it sheds light on an issue that is often ignored. The survey found that parents would have told their children to hurry up 540 times by the end of the school year. This number may seem laughable to you, as I tell my son or daughter to hurry up every morning.

A group wanted to bring attention to the confusion many parents experience when trying to balance their own needs with those of their children. “We want parents to understand that it is okay if they don’t keep their New Year’s Resolutions.” said a spokesperson. Parenting isn’t about ticking things off of a checklist. Use your energy and resources as best you can.

This study shows that it is perfectly normal to be overwhelmed by school mornings. It’s okay to be a little lenient with yourself. Nobody expects perfection. Not even our children, who (hopefully!) will forgive us for an occasional breakfast meltdown.

A Wake-up Call for Parents

Research shows that parents dedicate themselves to their children. Whether it is preparing meals, helping them with homework, or making sure they are ready for school at the right time, this dedication is evident. The research shows that parents are constantly juggling their needs and those of their children. Parents are working to make sure that their mornings run as smoothly as they can, even if it means giving up time and energy. The study highlights how much work goes into each small task, such as packing lunches and making sure homework is completed while still trying to get out of the house intact.

It’s not all bad. This study also reveals something that is often forgotten: the importance of parents taking care of themselves. Even though mornings can be hectic and the to-do list never seems to end, parents still need some quiet time before the chaos begins. Even on the busiest of mornings, taking a few moments to stretch, breathe, or drink a coffee can help us re-energize. This is a good reminder that as much as we devote ourselves to our children, we must also make time for our well-being, no matter how little.

Little Recognition Can Go a Long way

This research may seem insignificant to others, but it is a small acknowledgment of the physical and emotional work that parents put into each school morning. We often feel that no one is aware of the effort we make to ensure our children arrive at school with all they need. When companies like Kellogg shed light on how hard it is to get kids ready for school, they remind us that we are not alone.

This is what you need to know. You can now proudly say that you have earned this title. Every parent has.

It’s about surviving chaos at the end of it all. This study is humorous, but it also serves as a reminder to parents that they are superheroes, whether we’re rushing our children off to school or trying to get ourselves out the door.

Conclusion 

This research confirms something many of us knew in our hearts: getting kids ready for school can be exhausting. We work hard between the endless tasks, early mornings, and the never-ending laundry. It’s an acknowledgment of the important work that parents do, which is often undervalued. Jeremy Harper once said that it is OK if the world isn’t perfect as long as we do our best. Perhaps knowing that we are all in this together brings some comfort.

Here’s to the chaos of the mornings and the unsung labor that goes into getting our children ready for school. We are doing it, and we are doing it well.