NEWS COPY
The average British mum carries out up to 59 different tasks every single school day, according to a new study.
Despite the majority of the tasks being “mundane” and “boring” they are absolutely necessary to the efficient running of a normal household, and include cooking and serving the evening meal, nagging the kids to do their teeth and running the vacuum round.
According to the new survey, the average school mum leaps out of bed by 06:38am in a bid to get ahead of the daily tasks before the rest of the family wakes.
Mums will nip quietly downstairs to empty the dishwasher, make the first drinks of the day, pack the children’s lunches for school and fill the water bottles.
Before the morning school run, busy mums will make and serve breakfast, pack the school and work bags, apply necessary creams and medicines, remind the children to wash, put their uniform on, brush their hair and go to the loo – amongst a multitude of other essential tasks.
And for many mums, things don’t ease up following the after school run, as they then have homework and kids’ clubs to content with, as well as planning and serving up a nutritious meal for the whole family.
Dinner time also needs to be a well organised affair, and can become a military operation in many households.
Mums will find themselves cleverly concocting meals to fit around their children’s various afterschool events – which requires some advance planning to ensure the children are being well fed.
And while many mums cook and serve the evening meal from scratch daily, 70 per cent resort to a ready meal at least once a week to cope with the rush.
Rebecca Miah from Red Tractor beef and lamb, which conducted the poll of 1583 school mums to promote the new Mini Roasts, said: “The results show the huge amount of things to remember every day for the whole family.
“As well as being the engine of the home, mums also still take the reins when it comes to the family's meals and coming up with meal plans, recipe ideas and the ability to serve up good meals each day can be daunting so anything that can be done to help save them time is of huge benefit. That’s why a beef or lamb mini roast is the perfect solution to free up some time while still providing a nutritious meal.
“Cooked in under 50 minutes, and served with simple cheatable sides like rice or wedges a mini roast is quick and hands-free cooking – giving more time to help with the homework, or maybe even dream about relaxing.
"Being able to serve up a meal the whole family will love, without needing to put in too much time preparing or planning can make Mum's world hassle free."
Other tasks which feature on the average mum’s to-do list every day include putting a load of washing on, a spot of ironing, tidying the house from top to bottom, making the beds and putting out the rubbish/
Mums also have a range of administrative chores to do daily, which includes writing in the children’s reading records or homework books, filling out school paperwork and permission slips, and keeping on top of the calendar for the week’s events.
After school mums can usually expect to be the taxi service for her family, ferrying the children to their various clubs and sports – which of course require the appropriate bags to be packed, and a bit of volunteering when needed.
Nine out of 10 mums polled admitted they take the lead when it comes to all child-related household tasks, and seven in 10 often feel overwhelmed with the amount they have to remember each day.
Two thirds of mums feel their partner relies on them too heavily to get everything done, and remember things for every other member of the family.
More than half of mums admit they have at times forgotten things like defrosting something from the freezer for dinner, a doctor or dentist appointment or to pack their child’s P.E. kit.
Unsurprisingly given the amount Britain’s mums do, the large majority are tucked up in bed and fast asleep by 10:23pm each day.
MUM’S TASKS ON AN AVERAGE SCHOOL DAY
1. Decide what to make for dinner
2. Cook and serve the evening meal
3. Tidy up the dishes
4. Wake the children
5. Open all the curtains
6. Wash up or pack the dishwasher
7. Tidy the house from top to bottom
8. Make and serve the breakfast
9. Make sure everyone is ready to leave the house on time
10. Do the children’s homework with them
11. Get the children ready for bed
12. Get yourself showered, washed and dressed
13. Check the children are wearing coats and have all their belongings
14. Get the children their morning milk /drink
15. Go to work
16. Do the morning school run
17. Do the afternoon school run
18. Make your own bed
19. Nag the children to do their teeth
20. Put a load of washing on
21. Lay out the school uniform / help children into the school uniform
22. Pack the children’s lunches for school
23. Tidy around
24. Play with the children
25. Fill up the water bottles
26. Nag the children to eat their dinner
27. Listen to the children read
28. Encourage the children to wash at the end of the day
29. Check the calendar for events the following day
30. Pack the children’s bags / P.E. kit for school
31. Do the children’s hair
32. Ferry the children to clubs and sports
33. Lay out all the bags and clothes for the following day
34. Read the bedtime story
35. Putting away the dishes
36. Make the children’s beds
37. Remember after school clubs
38. Pack your own work bag
39. Feed or walk the animals
40. Complete school paperwork / permission slips and remember to send in with the children
41. Pack the appropriate kits for afterschool clubs and sports
42. Put out the rubbish / recycling
43. Keep on top of the calendar for birthdays, school events, social events
44. Fill in the children’s reading records / homework books
45. Pack your own / your partner’s lunch for the day
46. Ensure the children go to the toilet before leaving the house
47. Unpack the dishwasher / put the dishes away
48. Remember school dinner money
49. Hang out the washing
50. Give the children their medicines for the day
51. Usher the children into the bath or shower before school
52. Help your children learn their spellings for the day
53. Put sun cream on before school / rain coats
54. Check you haven’t forgotten a mufti day / cakes for the school fair
55. Vacuum
56. Iron
57. Help the children practise their music / sport / words for the school play
58. Read with the children
59. Volunteer at the various clubs, school, and sports
ENDS
