Tomorrow is the day parents should start getting their kids ready to go back to school, according to research. A poll of 1,200 parents, with children aged between five and 16, found that, on average, August 18th is the perfect time to start in order to fit everything in.
Buying new school uniforms is the job parents will prioritise first, followed by getting them new shoes – as 56 percent say it is important to have time to “break them in” before term starts in September.
However, parents are likely to leave trips to the hairdressers and barbers until last.
And another late task is buying new stationery and organising their workstations – with 30 percent believing it will help motivate them before the first week back.
It also emerged one in four parents even think the run-up to getting the kids back-to-school ready is more stressful than preparing for Christmas.
A spokesman from label-maker DYMO, which commissioned the research, said: “Organisation is key to getting the kids back to school – but with so much to fit in, it can become a very stressful time for parents.
“However, our research shows that despite the pressure parents face, they are plotting their return with an almost military-style precision. They know what they have to get out of the way first – and also what can wait until last.”
The research also found 58 percent of parents often underestimate how much work goes into getting their kids ready to go back to school.
And 54 percent admit it is always a rush to fit everything in come the end of August, with buying news shoes the job parents dread the most (25 percent).
Meanwhile, 23 percent get stressed re-establishing their routines – such as bedtimes and mealtimes.
Mums and dads estimate they will spend an average of £189 on each child, getting them ready for the new school term.
However, 55 percent are worried not everything they buy will last the entire year – with items getting lost, broken, or ripped.
As a result, seven in ten (69 percent) will “name” everything to ensure as little as possible goes missing.
The survey, conducted via OnePoll.com, also explored the shopping habits of parents throughout the back-to-school build up – with 41 percent aiming to do the bulk of their buying at supermarkets.
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One in five will grab the lion’s share at discounters, and just 12 percent will do most of it online.
Of those popping to the shops, they hope to get everything in an average of four different retailers, and get it all done within five hours.
However, 75 percent describe dragging their little ones around the shops as “exhausting”.
As a result, once their children have been dropped off at the school gates come September, 45 percent of parents admit they feel an overwhelming sense of relief.
The DYMO spokesman added: “It is no surprise parents feel relieved once the back-to-school countdown has finally come to an end.
“So much effort and organisation will go into getting them ready for school after a long summer.
“And that’s why we try to take some of the pressure away by offering simple solutions with our products, to help parents organise workplaces and equipment with no hassle at all.”
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