The Mental Load Back To School Brings
Back to school season is a challenging time for parents and caregivers, with extra tasks piling up and managing the stress that comes with them. Our recent survey sheds light on the true impact term-time routines have on parents and caregivers.
Globally, 15% of respondents reported a significant increase in their mental load over the past 12 months. However, in Ireland, this figure stands at a striking 20%, indicating that Irish parents are experiencing a mental load increase that is 33% higher than the global average.
As the new school term approaches, parents face an intensified burden, with their daily tasks increasing from 12 to 16 - a 33% rise. Meal planning, accounting for 39% of daily tasks, is particularly demanding. During this period, parents find morning routines (51%), homework management (43%), and meal planning and preparation (35%) to be the most challenging aspects of the back-to-school season.
Despite the availability of online resources and life hacks, parents report feeling more overwhelmed than ever before. Over 4 in 5 (82%) parents surveyed feel overwhelmed by information from the
internet and social media, with a fifth (20%) reporting that this increases their mental load daily.
Making Back to School Easy with HelloFresh
Back to school means getting back into a routine for most families up and down Ireland; reasonable bedtimes, early mornings, preparing and packing lunches, making sure homework is done and juggling after-school activities.
Why not lighten the load by taking away the stress of meal planning for your family? Leaving you to focus on the more important things back to school life brings, as you ease back into your routine.
Our recipes use high-quality, nutritious ingredients that are affordable too. Our food boxes transform mealtimes, coming with pre-portioned ingredients, meaning you’ll have less waste than ever before, and easy-to-follow recipe cards, making after school dinners a breeze.
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Back to School Lunch Ideas
Preparing children's back to school lunches is just one of the many tasks building up and adding to parents’ and caregivers’ mental load, when term-time comes back around. However, if you’re looking for back to school lunch ideas, you’re in the right place. Quick and easy to prepare, take a look at these back to school food ideas for some inspiration.
- Wraps and sandwiches
- packed full of your little ones’ favourite ingredients
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- such as carrot or cucumber sticks, or sliced apple and peanut butter
- Sides
- such as a protein-packed hard boiled egg, cheese sticks or yoghurts
- Healthy snacks
- such as rice cakes, whole grain crackers with spreads and dried fruits
- Drinks
- such as smoothies, fruit juice or water.
Expert Tips on Easing the Mental Load
Partnering with HelloFresh, Sinead Moore, advocate and founder of StretchMarks, one of Ireland's top parenting advice podcasts, commented on easing the mental load:
- Keep it simple
- Try not to take on too much stress, as your kids will pick up on it and feel anxious.
- Plan ahead
- You know the routine and what time they need to leave the house. Talk to the family the night before to ensure a smooth morning routine. Set specific times for dressing, breakfast, and departure to keep everyone on track and minimize last-minute rushes.
- Delegate tasks
- Don't keep everything in your head. If the lunchbox needs to be made, include your kids in making them. Make it a family event in preparing for back-to-school.