Parents find mornings the most stressful part of the day, poll reveals

Getting kids up and out of the house proved to be stressful

Adults said they set ‘several’ alarms each morning (AFP via Getty Images)

More than half of parents find mornings the most stressful part of the day due to getting the kids up and sorted – and organising their own hectic schedules.

A poll of 2,000 mums and dads found many are pushed to their limits before they even leave the house.

The most taxing aspect of school day mornings is getting their children out of bed - and as a result, several say they set ‘several’ alarms in the hope of rising them for their slumber.

Despite this, it takes them two attempts on average to successfully rouse their kids - although some admit that getting themselves up also requires considerable effort.

Following the findings, Amazon Devices - which commissioned the research - has created an Alexa ‘School Morning’ Routine to help families get up on time and ready for the day ahead.

The poll also found household chores and managing to make their children’s packed lunch also make weekday mornings stressful.

And the pandemic hasn’t made mornings any easier – as the majority of parents admitted they completely lost any sense of a morning routine during lockdown.

Kunal Patel, head of product of Alexa Proactive and Routines, said: “We know that everyone’s morning routine looks a little different, whether starting the school day in the classroom or at home.

“Families can create a routine that saves them time and helps them more seamlessly conquer their morning to-do list before a hectic school day or their evening activities after a long day of learning.”

The survey also found the average child takes a total of 27 minutes to get ready for school on a typical morning.

And for many of them, it’s often an early start as many parents ‘need’ their kids to be out of bed before 7am if they are to make it to school on time.

For the most part they are successful, however they are late to the classroom an average of six times during a typical academic year.

This has meant two in five parents have ended up being late to work as a direct result of battling with their kids first thing.

It also emerged that in a bid to get their children out of bed on time, a number of mums and dads try to ensure their little ones don’t stay up late the night before.

In the morning, those polled will resort to a host of measures to ‘will’ their children awake - including opening the curtains and turning on the lights.

Carried out through OnePoll, the research also found some struggle to juggle their kid’s morning routine and their own.

Parents said if they had more time for themselves in the morning, they would sleep-in more often, watch morning TV, or even try to get a workout in.

While almost half wiah they had something they could turn to in order to help them make school-day mornings easier, a majority technology as a valuable tool for morning routines.

Mr Patel added: “Introducing small changes and helpful tools, like technology, to everyday routines will help families start the school year strong and stay on track for months to come.

“Everyone deserves a little time back in their day, so start planning now to establish an efficient routine in your own home before the back-to-school pandemonium begins!”

SWNS