Back to School Stress Is So Real, 60% of Parents Say They're Driven to Tears
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Time management, family scheduling, and expenses top the list of stressors.
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Fact checked by Sarah ScottFact checked by Sarah ScottAfter a long and (at least partially) relaxing summer, back to school can hit parents like a bucket of ice water.We trade long afternoons at the pool for teacher meet-and-greets and open houses, waking up early for the bus, enrolling in new clubs, tracking down just the right brand of #2 pencils, and getting our kids whatever $70 water bottle is popular these days.A new survey from Life360 says the toll of all that stress is even worse than most of us realize. The Life360 team surveyed 1,000 U.S. parents of school-aged children about their back-to-school routines and major stressors. The results? Most of us are really struggling.Time and logistics are a major issue for many of the families surveyed. When you account for transportation, after-school activities, sports leagues, homework time, and more, it’s easy to see how the family calendar can get out of control—which is a big problem for parents who are also trying to juggle household responsibilities and, you know, trying to stay employed.According to the survey, parents spend a whopping 17 hours per week coordinating family schedules and logistics. That’s the equivalent of an extra part-time job!
By The Numbers57% say fitting in all their activities is a challenge.54% struggle to keep track of every detail of their family's schedule.68% of parents feel burdened by the number of tasks they need to complete.76% say they check their children's schedules several times a day to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Money is an even bigger stressor, though, with the average family spending nearly $458 per child on back-to-school supplies, much of which gets lost during the year ($175 worth!) and must be replaced again and again. Growing kids need new clothes, new shoes, new haircuts, and more. And then of course there are those pesky specialty items parents have to track down like certain types of markers or notebooks, which not only cost money but can be a huge headache to find.We all know back-to-school is a chaotic time for families, but the survey highlights just how bad the problem really is. Many of the parents agreed that back-to-school is even worse than holiday stress, and a shocking 60% were even driven to tears by the stress of it all.How To Handle With Back-to-School ChaosThe transition from summer break to the first day of school is always going to be a little bumpy, but there’s got to be a better way to handle it than collapsing in a heap on the kitchen floor, right?Our experts have some suggestions.Balancing busy schedulesJillian Amodio, a licensed therapist (LMSW) and the founder of Moms for Mental Health says you can start by getting a better grip on time management—not through calendar hacks or being a hyper-efficient parenting machine, but by asking for help and putting your mental health first.“Take stock of who in your life you can lean on for extra support. Grandparents, friends, uncles, aunts, neighbors, etc,” she says. “It is more than ok to ask for help, and many people actually find a lot of joy in being able to assist someone they care about.”Maybe Grandma could handle transportation to and from after-school activities a few times a week, or you could set up a carpool rotation with friends. Anything to give yourself a tiny bit of time back.She also recommends saying "No" more often to protect the family calendar and your sanity.“The sneak-a-peak, classroom visits, PTO meetings, and back-to-school nights are all nice, but if your schedule is overflowing, it is 100% OK to say no! Saying no is an often overlooked aspect of self-care,” Amodio adds.Erika Katz, a parenting expert and spokesperson for Life360 says using apps can help with the back-to-school stress by helping to keep things organized."As far as scheduling, generally, I find that it’s easier for one person to be in charge of creating the schedule and then sharing it with the rest of the family so everyone knows where they need to be," Katz explains.She says if families add everyone to a location-sharing app, they'll know where the kids are, whether it's at school or somewhere else. On the flip side, it also lets the kiddos know if their parents or caregivers are on their way or running late.Back-to-school spendingThe financial burden of back-to-school is another tricky one to navigate.When it comes to clothes, the obvious answer is to shop second-hand, reuse, and look for hand-me-downs from friends. But let’s be real; this approach is not bound to make your kids thrilled. Plus, who doesn’t love witnessing the confidence boost your kids get from putting on a fresh new outfit on the first day of school?Katz says it’s OK to splurge for a few new trending clothing items while avoiding the massive back-to-school wardrobe overhaul, which can make a huge dent in your bank account all at once. Spread out the cost of new clothes and shoes over the course of the year as much as you can.“Kids grow so fast. They could be a different shoe size by late fall,” she says. “Try to use what you have and fill in as you go.”Another tip from Katz is to get a few friends to bring over a few outfits they don’t want anymore, and let the kids do a big swap. It reframes the idea of second-hand and makes it a lot more fun and exciting — and dare I say, even cool?For older kids, Katz even recommends showing them how to use resale apps to sell their old clothes. It teaches them to be enterprising and not wasteful, plus it might help them earn a few bucks and teach them to save money to put toward luxury items they may want.There’s really no getting around the need for school supplies, but if cost is a major concern, Jillian Amodio says not to be afraid to reach out to the school—they may be able to help.“If your family is struggling to afford back-to-school essentials, reach out to your guidance counselors as they might have resources to offer as well,” she says. “Asking for help is never a sign of weakness and always a sign of love and resilience!”Remember that you’ll be experts at your new routine in a matter of weeks, and the overwhelming stress and chaos will fade. What’s important is protecting everyone in the family’s mental health in the meantime. That might mean asking for help from friends, family, or the school, or even saying No to something you’d normally be inclined to do or buy.You’ll get through it if everyone in the family sticks together, and you’ll be feeling refreshed and ready to take on the stress of the holidays before you know it! For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Parents.
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