Not really surprising to me as a working mum, but rather interesting to learn that British parents do an equivalent of an extra day’s work per week in the mad morning dash, working parents’ busy morning routine amounts to an additional 10 hours 15 mins a week on top of their nine to five jobs.
The typical parent completes 43 tasks – from last-minute homework to defrosting the dinner - in a gruelling domestic routine BEFORE they reach their day job.
Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain studied 2,000 working parents with children of school age to celebrate the launch of new Nutri-Grain snack bars, which are made with six B vitamins and iron, known to help release energy from the food we eat and keep us fueled up on busy days, the purpose of the study was to find out just how much us working parents do each day. On average, school-age parents leap out of bed at 6.01am (with one third up before 5.30am) to ensure they can complete a checklist of 43 tasks – taking more than two hours - before they even get to work. This amounts to 10 hours 15 mins every week, equivalent to more than a whole additional working day.
The busy working parent’s checklist of 43 tasks:
Commuting to work
Brushing teeth
Getting yourself dressed
Making breakfast for the kids
Getting the kids to brush their teeth
Packing and making your own lunch to take to work
Ferrying the kids to school
Packing the kids’ school bag
Cleaning dishes / packing the dishwasher
Putting a washing load on
Preparing for any after-school clubs (e.g. packing sports kit)
Filling up coffee holder/water bottle
Making/eating breakfast
Brushing the kids’ hair
Searching for misplaced items (e.g. kids’ clothing, homework etc.)
Getting the kids up and dressed
Getting the kids to finish their homework
Packing and making the kids’ school lunch
Making the beds
Filling out permission slips
Wiping surfaces
Polishing school/work shoes
Feeding the pets
Making a to-do list or shopping list for the day
Organising medical appointments (doctor/dentist/) or picking up prescriptions from the pharmacy
Arranging childcare
Defrosting food for dinner that evening
Scrolling through social media
Putting away toys
Ironing work/school clothes
Applying makeup / grooming
Folding/putting away clothes
Organizing play dates
Having a shower/bath
Drying/styling hair
Checking/responding to emails/messages
Paying bills
Taking the bin out
Exercising / going for a run / to the gym
Watering the plants
Reading the news/weather
Walking the dog
Locking up (doors, windows, setting alarm)
A Kellogg's spokesperson said: “It’s clearly a case of wake and work for British parents who are packing in a whole additional working day every week on top of their nine to five jobs.“The morning checklist of chores means working parents’ days are rammed, understandably leaving most exhausted by 11am. Fuelling up with a mid-morning snack is a great way to get through the 11am slump and sustain energy levels throughout the day.”
Eight in ten parents (79 per cent) confessed they do not eat a big enough breakfast to sustain them through to lunch, while 42 per cent said they skip it altogether most days and despite getting up at 6am to do their morning chores the average parent doesn’t leave work until 6pm, meaning their day is in fact a far cry from the traditional nine to five.
Leading UK nutritionist Laura Clark estimates the morning shift for working parents could be equivalent to burning over 300 calories every day:
80 per cent of working parents admit to getting HANGRY from failing to eat a proper breakfast, leading 44 per cent to have arguments with colleagues , The morning dash has never been busier for British working parents according to new research released today, which reveals their wake-up routine adds an additional day's work* on top of their nine to five jobs every week.
Dr Becky Spelman, a leading UK psychologist, said:
“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. As well as ensuring that we all keep our minds and bodies properly nourished and energised, employers offering flexible hours for working parents can be a real help when it comes to managing the work-life balance.”
Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bars are available from all major supermarkets and are approved for school lunchboxes.
