‘5.55pm is peak stress time for working mums’

Five to six in the evening is the most stressful time for working mums, according to a survey.

That is because it is the time mums are most likely to be trying to sort out the kids’ dinner as well as running them to and from their after school activities while still checking their work emails.

The morning school run, bath times and putting the children to bed were also stressful, but mealtimes were the most difficult, research has revealed.

The study found that trying to get kids to sit down and eat their dinners without too much fuss was the most difficult part of their day with nearly half saying they regularly have to cook different meals for each family member.

More than half admitted they often lost their temper during mealtimes, with many saying they let their kids eat in front of the TV or throw away food for a quiet life.

Pete Robertshaw from Betterbathrooms.com who commissioned the survey of 2,000 mums said: “It’s hard to imagine how stressful it can be balancing a job and a family life, but it’s interesting that meal times are the worst time of the day for them. Cooking one meal is hard enough, but hearing that so many mums are cooking different dinners and getting them ready at different times seems like a hard enough task without running everyone to different after school clubs and dealing with work calls. This research shows just how pressured mums feel.”

Nearly half of mums have had their kids refuse to eat their dinners or say they don’t like their cooking.

A similar number also confessed to serving up unhealthy food because they didn’t have the time to cook something from scratch.

Bath times were the second most stressful point in a mum’s day, with many saying that they feel too tired to make it fun, instead rushing it through and trying to get the children to bed as quickly as possible.

Bed time was found to be the third most stressful point in a mum’s day, with many complaining that their partner never helps and that they often give in to their children’s demands to stay up later.

Mums also said that organising a family and running a house was more stressful than work was, with many mums admitting they have a hard time getting everything done.

Three quarters said they feel like they need a break and half said they struggle to find time to do things for themselves such as have a bath.
Forty per cent said the school run was the most stressful part of the day, while 38 per cent said making sure their child had the right PE kit, letters, homework, dinner money and permission slips was very stressful.

• Vote  
• 0
• 0
• You already voted!

• Tags:
• Health Working mums